One killed, nine wounded in mine blasts in April

One person was killed and nine were wounded in mine explosions in Azerbaijan in April, the Azerbaijani public association Campaign to Ban Landmines has reported.

"As a result of an anti-personnel mine's blast, one civilian was killed. Six civilians, including two children, and three soldiers were injured as a result of blasts of anti-personnel mines and unexploded ordnances,” the association said.

According to the organization, the mine and unexploded ordnance blast took place in the Tartar, Zangilan, Aghdam, Gubadli, Kalbajar, Gazakh, Lachin regions, as well as in Ganja city.

It added that, two were killed and 18 people were injured as a result mine and unexploded ordnance explosions in the country during January-April 2022.

About 1,500 mines and unexploded ordnance were found and defused on Azerbaijan's liberated territories on April 1-30, Azerbaijan’s Mine Action Agency has reported.

It should be noted that ANAMA, along with the partner countries, carries out demining activities on the liberated territories. Moreover, the State Border Service and the Defence Ministry also demine the liberated lands.

Armenia submitted to Azerbaijan all mine maps of liberated territories as a result of talks held through the Russian Defence Ministry's mediation on December 4, 2021.

On December 12, 2021, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told reporters that mine maps provided by Armenia so far are not fully accurate.

In an address to the 6th Eastern Partnership Summit of the European Union held in Brussels on December 15, 2021, President Ilham Aliyev said that about 200 people had been killed or injured in mine explosions to that date. In this regard, he stressed the importance of the European Union and member states providing technical and financial assistance to Azerbaijan to eliminate the mine problem.