Official: Another mass grave discovered at former combat position in Aghdara district

A new mass grave containing the remains of more than 10 Azerbaijani servicemen has been uncovered at a height that was previously a combat position in the Aghdara district, head of Azerbaijan's State Security Service and chairman of the State Commission for Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, Ali Naghiyev, said.

Speaking at the international conference on “Uniting efforts and enhancing cooperation for addressing the issue of missing persons,” held in Baku, Naghiyev noted that the discovery was made during ongoing search operations and excavations being conducted by the State Commission together with specialists from relevant state agencies, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“Another mass grave has been discovered on a height that was a former combat position. According to preliminary data, the remains of more than 10 Azerbaijani servicemen have been identified. As part of the event program, conference participants will visit this area tomorrow,” Naghiyev noted.

He also added that search efforts on the Murovdag ridge in the Kalbajar district earlier this year were carried out systematically, aided by drone technology, which helped achieve significant results.

Earlier, President Ilham Aliyev addressed the conference, revealing that following the liberation of Azerbaijani territories, 29 mass graves had been discovered. He emphasised that forensic examinations confirmed the victims had been subjected to horrific torture.

The president described the mass killings, inhumane burials, and efforts to conceal these crimes as grave violations of international legal norms.

By Sabina Mammadli