A total of 176,237 hectares in Azerbaijan were cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance from November 2020 through November 30, 2024, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines (AzCBL) Public Union Hafiz Safikhanov said at the union's review conference today, AzVision.az reports.
He stated that the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, relevant units of the State Border Service, and local demining companies cleared the area.
He reported the detection and neutralization of a total of 175,017 mines and other war remnants, including 34,996 anti-personnel mines, 21,022 anti-tank mines, and 118,999 unexploded ordinances.
"According to statistics, the number of mine victims in Azerbaijan exceeds 3,400 people, including 359 children and 38 women. From November 10, 2020, to the present day, 382 people had suffered from mine explosions. Out of these, 70 individuals lost their lives and 312 sustained injuries. Among the deceased, 55 were civilians, and 143 of the injured were also civilians," Safikhanov added.
To note, following the liberation of its lands, Azerbaijan began operations in November 2020 to sweep its lands clean of mines, booby traps, and other weaponry that the illegal Armenian forces had left behind.
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