BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 18. Today, during the performance of his duties in the Mukhtar village of the liberated Khojaly district, Vasif Chobanov, an employee of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) born in 2000, was injured by the explosion of an anti-personnel landmine, TurkicWorld reports via ANAMA.
The employee received various injuries to his left hand and face. Chobanov was evacuated to the district central hospital. His condition is satisfactory; there is no danger to his life.
Liberated territories in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region are heavily contaminated with an estimated 1.5 million landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), covering roughly 12% of the territory. Planted during 30 years of occupation, these mines target civilians, delaying rehabilitation and the "Great Return" of IDPs. Since the 2020 war, over 360+ citizens have become victims.
The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action was founded in 1998. It mobilizes the requisite resources to address mine action in alignment with national needs and priorities, coordinates inter-agency efforts for the safe clearance of mines from de-occupied and war-affected regions, continues to conduct research, clears mines from territories, and transfers them to end users, while also communicating Azerbaijan's mine issue to the global community and enhancing mutually beneficial collaboration with international and donor organizations to combat the mine threat.
