Asgarov said that the mines must be neutralized to ensure the safety of Azerbaijani civilians [who will return to the liberated territories].
"The mine clearance operations come with a number of difficulties, since the Armenian side hasn’t provided accurate maps of the minefields. As a result [of the mine explosions], more than 250 Azerbaijani citizens died after the 2020 second Karabakh war,” he said.
“More than 155,000 mines were found and removed in Zangilan alone after the war. Totally, more than 300,000 mines and other explosive munitions were found in the liberated areas," the official noted.
He also noted that the accuracy of the provided mine maps is very low.
"In the Fuzuli district, mines were found in cemeteries. Armenia also carried out mining operations after the war. The Armenian armed forces carried out mining operations while retreating from the territories of Azerbaijan, and continue to do so now. According to international law, Armenia must provide accurate mine maps to Azerbaijan," added Asgarov.
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