BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 18. Today, during
the performance of his duties in the Mukhtar village of the
liberated Khojaly district, Vasif Chobanov, an employee of the
Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) born in 2000,
was injured by the explosion of an anti-personnel landmine,
Trend reports via
ANAMA.
The employee received various injuries to his left hand and
face. Chobanov was evacuated to the district central hospital. His
condition is satisfactory; there is no danger to his life.
Liberated territories in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region are
heavily contaminated with an estimated 1.5 million landmines and
unexploded ordnance (UXO), covering roughly 12% of the territory.
Planted during 30 years of occupation, these mines target
civilians, delaying rehabilitation and the "Great Return" of IDPs.
Since the 2020 war, over 360+ citizens have become victims.
The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action was founded in
1998. It mobilizes the requisite resources to address mine action
in alignment with national needs and priorities, coordinates
inter-agency efforts for the safe clearance of mines from
de-occupied and war-affected regions, continues to conduct
research, clears mines from territories, and transfers them to end
users, while also communicating Azerbaijan's mine issue to the
global community and enhancing mutually beneficial collaboration
with international and donor organizations to combat the mine
threat.
