Since the end of the 2020 war, 419 Azerbaijanis have fallen victim to landmines, with 72 killed and 347 seriously injured, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated.
In a statement on X, the ministry emphasised that landmines continue to pose a serious threat to civilian lives and hinder both the safe return of former IDPs and ongoing reconstruction efforts, Caliber.Az reports.
“Azerbaijan is committed to demining to ensure a safe and sustainable return of its citizens to their liberated lands, and expects mobilised efforts of international partners to extend support to that end,” the statement read.
The ministry’s remarks come a day after a local resident died in a mine explosion in Azerbaijan’s Khojavand district.
The incident took place on March 12 in Ashagi Veysalli village, situated in a previously liberated area. The victim, Ramiz Mashallah oglu Hajiyev, born in 1968 and a resident of Aghdam district, stepped on an anti-tank mine while grazing livestock on land along the former line of contact that has not yet been cleared of mines.
By Jeyhun Aghazada
