At least 379 civilians have fallen victim to landmines since the end of the 44-day Patriotic War in November 2020, with 70 losing their lives and 309 suffering various degrees of bodily injury, an official of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) said during the media tour to the liberated territories, Report informs.
During a media tour organized by ANAMA, journalists were informed that over 161,000 hectares of land have been cleared of mines, with more than 156,000 mines and various types of ammunition discovered and neutralized. However, the threat persists as Armenian armed forces continue to lay booby traps and mines in the region.
Khalig Zulfugarov, ANAMA's operations manager, emphasized the severe contamination of the liberated territories with mines and other explosive remnants. "Their detonation results in the loss of life or health of people, long-term severe psychological trauma. In most cases, the victims of mines are civilians," he stated.
The media representatives were briefed on the difficulties encountered during the demining process in areas close to the former line of contact in the Fuzuli district.
