4 Azerbaijani civilians killed in mine explosion

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Four Azerbaijani civilians lost their lives after a mine laid by Armenian forces exploded, state authorities said Saturday.

The explosion occurred when a vehicle carrying the civilians came in contact with the landmine in the village of Ashagi Seyidahmedli of Fuzuli province, the Chief Prosecutor's Office said.

The province was recently liberated by the Azerbaijani army from nearly three-decades of Armenian occupation.

While retreating from the occupied territories, the Armenian forces laid mines to target the civilians, prosecutors said in a statement.

They also asked the public to not enter the liberated areas without a special permit.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

New clashes erupted on Sept. 27 and ended with a Russian-brokered truce six weeks later.

Baku liberated several strategic cities, and nearly 300 of its settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation during this time.

Before this, about 20% of Azerbaijan's territory had been under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades.