ANAMA: 16 Unexploded Ordnances Neutralized Over Past Week

“During mine-clearing operations in the Tartar, Aghdara,Kalbajar, Aghdam, Khojaly, Khankendi, Khojavand, Lachin, Shusha,Fuzuli, Gubadli, Jabrayil, and Zangilan districts, 24anti-personnel mines, 11 anti-tank mines, and 16 unexplodedordnances (UXOs) were discovered and neutralised from May 13 to19,” Azerbaijan's Mine Action Agency said in a statement, Azernews reports.

“A total of 308.7 hectares of land were cleared from mines andUXOs over the past week,” the agency added.

Recall that despite attempts at formally requesting informationabout the location of those mines, Armenia repeatedly denied thatit possessed the relevant information and refused to engage on theissue.

Finally, in February of this year, Armenia submitted 8 minefieldmaps of territories located in the liberated lands to Azerbaijan maps cover some of the areas along the former contact line, the maps covering part of the former contact line passingthrough Khojavand, Tartar, and Goranboy districts, as well as theareas mined by Armenian military units when they retreated inNovember 2020, have not been submitted yet.

Many have suspicions about these maps because previous minefieldmaps submitted by Armenia were inaccurate. Only 25 percent of thesemaps were correct. Especially submitting minefield maps of theheights where civilians do not live increases this suspicion. It isalso worth noting that more than 55% of recent landmine cases haveoccurred outside the areas covered by the information provided.

The behaviour that Armenia displayed in relation to the landminethreat is indeed another setback to the peace-building andconfidence-building measures taken during the post-conflict periodin the region.

It is worth noting that as Azerbaijan's liberated territoriesremain contaminated with mine, the new infrastructure and greenenergy projects remain a risky and problematic goal. Theseobstacles to a legal peace are part of the challenges facing therepopulation, development, and integration of the liberatedterritories on the path to a full peace.

The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action has grown from afledgling organisation to one fully equipped to clear mines,provide risk education, and assist survivors of accidents. Today,ANAMA's efforts are aimed at continuing the increase and expansionof mine action capacity to provide clearance of all liberated areasof Azerbaijan.

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