Since the end of the Patriotic War in 2020, 437 Azerbaijani citizens, including civilians, military personnel, deminers, journalists, and those involved in reconstruction efforts, have become victims of mine and explosive ordnance incidents, resulting in 73 deaths and 364 severe injuries.
elchi reports that this was stated in President Ilham Aliyev’s address to the participants of the 4th International Mine Action Conference on the theme “Humanitarian Mine Action for Urban Reconstruction: Setting Excellence Standards for Safe Settlements.”
“In total, since the beginning of Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan, more than 3,500 of our citizens have suffered from mines. Among them are children, women, and other civilians, whose lives have been tragically affected by this hidden threat.
The fact that the maps of mined areas provided by Armenia are largely inaccurate and incomplete further increases the scale of this challenge. Mines and booby traps have been discovered not only in former military positions but also along roads, near residential areas, in cemeteries, on agricultural lands, in forests, along riverbanks, and in other civilian areas. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan remains firmly committed to overcoming these challenges and ensuring the safe, dignified, and sustainable return of its citizens to their native lands,” the head of state noted.