Official: Kalbajar remains Azerbaijan’s most heavily mine-contaminated region

Kalbajar district continues to be the most heavily mine-contaminated territory in Azerbaijan, according to Bashir Hajiyev, the President’s Special Representative in the district.

Speaking at the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Hajiyev said extensive reconstruction and rehabilitation work is currently underway in the district following years of conflict and destruction, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

He noted that between 2020 and 2026, approximately 222,000 square metres of land in Kalbajar District have been cleared of mines as part of ongoing demining operations.

“Kalbajar is the most heavily mine-contaminated area,” Hajiyev stated, adding that despite significant progress in clearance efforts, the presence of landmines continues to pose a serious challenge to recovery and resettlement efforts.

He also reported that over the same period, several mine explosions have occurred in the district, resulting in civilians sustaining injuries of varying severity.

By Aghakazim Guliyev