Azerbaijan says 282 people victims of mines since 2020 peace agreement

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Azerbaijan said Tuesday that nearly 300 people were victims of mine explosions since a 2020 peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan ended a 44-day conflict in the Karabakh region.

"A total of 282 people have been victims of mines in the liberated territories since November 10, 2020, 46 of them lost their lives. Unfortunately, the number of mine victims continues to increase," the head of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) Vugar Suleymanov said in a statement.

ANAMA said Monday that five anti-tank mines and 62 unexploded ordnance were found and defused in the Tartar, Aghdam, Fuzuli, Shusha, Gubadli, Khojavend, Lachin and Zangilan regions during demining efforts in the last week.

A total of 467 hectares (1,154 acres) has been so far cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance, it added.

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

Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages and settlements from Armenian occupation in the fall of 2020 during 44 days of fighting.

A Russian-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​