"One of the most widespread types of mines are copies of Russian-made PMN anti-personnel mines. In addition, during operations we also encounter various types of explosive devices and ammunition," Samir Poladov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), said during the event titled “Post-conflict Urban Reconstruction: The Crucial Role of Humanitarian Demining,” organized by ANAMA, APA reports.
He noted that mine traps and concealed explosive devices are being discovered during reconstruction work carried out in various districts.
“Usually, such devices are placed in areas where people do not expect their presence, which further increases the danger. Since 2023, following the full restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, large-scale clearance operations have been carried out in these territories. Some of the results achieved in this direction are also reflected in the presented materials. The areas where most mine explosions have occurred are mainly zones close to the former line of contact,” he said.
Samir Poladov stated that particularly in the immediate post-conflict period, when people who had been displaced from their native lands for many years began returning, numerous mine incidents were recorded.
“As a result, there were serious casualties among civilians. In some cases, mines hidden in forested areas, mountainous terrains, and even under trees are being discovered. The mine threat is not limited to open areas alone. In addition, ancient underground irrigation systems, known as kahrizes, are also among the areas requiring special attention. As in the past, some of these systems are still used today as water sources in certain territories. Since people enter these tunnels during reconstruction works, the areas are first completely cleared of explosive devices, and only after that are safe construction works permitted. Since the end of the war in 2020, a total of 425 people have been affected by mine and unexploded ordnance explosions. Of them, 73 people were killed, while 352 sustained severe injuries of varying degrees. The victims include people from different age groups. Unfortunately, in some cases, children have also fallen victim to mines. It should be noted that following 2020, the number of incidents involving civilians has decreased to some extent as a result of large-scale mine risk awareness programs. Nevertheless, the mine threat still remains, and the possibility of such incidents occurring in the coming years continues,” he added.
