22:56, 30 November 2021

Twenty-four Azerbaijani civilians killed by mine explosions in Karabakh

An enclosed area with an unexploded ordnance. Photo by Aziz Karimov for the "Caucasian Knot"

Since the end of the war in the autumn of 2020, 73 people, including 24 killed, fell victim to mine explosions in the territories of Karabakh that came under the control of Azerbaijan. Most of the mine explosions occurred when people illegally entered the areas not cleared of mines, the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action reported.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on November 29, two militaries were hospitalized with injuries after a mine explosion in the Fizuli District, which came under the control of Azerbaijan following the autumn war of 2020. On the same day, during the repair and construction work in the village of Mekhdili in the Djabrail District, a civilian was blown up by a mine and severely injured.

Earlier, military analysts have noted that demining the areas after the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh may take years, as clearing the sites of military operations from ammunition is a long and difficult process.

The APA reports with reference to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) that 51% of all cases of mine explosions occurred when people illegally entered the liberated territories, and 26% occurred when people left the territory cleared of mines.

The “Caucasian Knot” has also reported that on June 12, Azerbaijan handed over fifteen prisoners of war (POWs) to Armenia in exchange for maps with the location of 97,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines in the Agdam District.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 30, 2021 at 02:55 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: CK correspondent