Azerbaijan has completely cleared of mines the territory of Aghdam city liberated from Armenia’s occupation in the last year’s 44-day war, an official of the Aghdam region executive office has said.
He said that the de-mining operations are underway in other parts of Aghdam.
“The territory of the city is completely cleared of mines, improvement work continues. Power lines, water supply lines, roads are being built. Currently, the process of de-mining in the district’s villages continues,” the region’s deputy executive head, Allahveran Aliyev said.
Some 160 Azerbaijanis have been killed or injured in the explosion of mines planted by Armenians in Azerbaijan’s formerly occupied regions since the end of the war in autumn 2020 that saw Azerbaijan liberate most of its territories in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Azerbaijan has warned its citizens against traveling to formerly occupied territories without permission, citing land mine threats.
On June 12, Azerbaijan handed over 15 Armenian prisoners in exchange for a map detailing the location of 97,000 mines in formerly-occupied Agdam.
On July 3, Armenia submitted to the Azerbaijani side maps of about 92,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines planted during the occupation in Fuzuli and Zangilan regions in exchange of 15 ex-convicts of Armenian origin.
It should be noted that Azerbaijan collaborates with the international community to demining its liberated lands. The UK has recently contributed over AZN 1 million (£500,000) to Azerbaijan’s recovery efforts and demining activities on the liberated territories.
AzerNews