International Community Should Mobilize Efforts To Eliminate Landmine Threat In Azerbaijan

(MENAFN- AzerNews) Armenia-planted landmines countinue to kill and maimAzerbaijanis in recently liberated territories, Azernews reports citing the post shared byAzerbaijan's Foreign Ministry on its official "X" account.

"Despite extensive efforts, demining operations face manychallenges due to Armenia's refusal to hand over accurate mapsdisplaying the locations of the landmines," the post reads.

Note that Today, 27 years old ANAMA employee was severelyinjured and his foot was amputated as a result of a landmineexplosion in Sirkhavand village.

Despite attempts at formally requesting information about thelocation of those mines, Armenia repeatedly denied that itpossessed the relevant information and refused to engage on theissue.

Finally, in February this year, Armenia has submitted 8minefield maps of territories located in the liberated lands toAzerbaijan. These maps cover some of the areas along the formercontact line. However, the maps covering part of the former contactline passing through Khojavand, Tartar, and Goranboy districts, aswell as the areas mined by Armenian military units when theyretreated in November 2020, has 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 theheight 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 behavior that Armenia displayed by relation to the landminethreat is indeed another setback to the peace andconfidence-building measures taken during the post-conflict periodin the region.

It is worth noting that because of Azerbaijan's liberatedterritories remain contaminated with mine, the new infrastructureand green energy projects remains a risky and problematic goal obstacles to a legal peace are part of the challenges facingthe repopulation, development and integration of the liberatedterritories on the path to a full peace.

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