Azerbaijan defuses more than 1,600 mines and unexploded ordnance in a week

Azerbaijan’s mine agency found and defused 29 anti-tank mines, 208 anti-personnel mines and 1,436 items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) during humanitarian demining operations in areas recaptured from occupation between Sept. 21 and 27, the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) said in its weekly report.

A total of 1,385.8 hectares of land were cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance during the reporting period, according to the agency.

ANAMA statistics show that a total of 175,017 mines and items of unexploded ordnance have been defused in the recaptured territories since the Second Karabakh War. They included 34,996 anti-personnel mines, 21,022 anti-tank mines and 118,999 items of unexploded ordnance.

The agency said 176,237 hectares of land had been cleared of mine contamination in the post-war period to date.

Azerbaijan considers large-scale humanitarian demining in the recaptured territories one of the key areas of its reconstruction and recovery efforts. Official statistics show that more than 3,400 people have been killed or injured by mines in Azerbaijan, including 359 children and 38 women.

Since the Second Karabakh War ended in 2020, 382 people have been affected by mine explosions, including 55 fatalities. Of those affected, 143 were civilians.

According to global statistics, civilians account for 84% of mine victims. Children make up 37% of civilian casualties, while men and boys account for 81% of all mine victims.

Gulnar Nazimqizi