Baku: Armenians planted more than 1 million mines in the territories of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan reported that the number of landmines planted by Armenians in its territory exceeded 1 million. Since the end of the war in Karabakh in 2020, 342 Azerbaijani citizens suffered from mine explosions, 65 of them, including 3 journalists, were killed.
The number of landmines laid by Armenians in the territories of Azerbaijan has exceeded 1 million, the press service of the Republic's MFA reports.
It should be noted that the TIV took into account the statement of the National Security Service of Armenia on January 25, 2024 about the intention to provide mine maps to Azerbaijan.
T noted that the Azerbaijani side has repeatedly requested Armenia to provide mine maps both before the 2020 Karabakh war and during the post-conflict period.
"After the signing of the tripartite declaration on November 10, 2020, it turned out that a small part of the mine maps, which Armenia initially denied, and then presented as a result of international pressure, was only 25 percent accurate . We have repeatedly emphasized that the given maps are useless, incomplete and do not reflect the real situation. Although these maps show that there are 400,000 landmines buried in our territories , in reality the number of landmines is more than 1 million," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
It was added that more than 55 percent of mine explosions occurred outside the maps provided by Armenia in recent years.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminded that since the end of the war in Karabakh in 2020, 342 Azerbaijani citizens suffered from mine explosions, 65 of them, including 3 journalists, were killed. Of the 65 people killed, 50 are civilians.
There is a fact that after 2020, Armenia will install new mines in the territories of Azerbaijan where Russian peacekeeping forces are temporarily stationed and along the perimeter of these territories.
" It is known that more than 500,000 landmines have been planted here. At the same time, it showed that the statements that Armenia has not produced or exported landmines in recent decades are groundless," the ministry said in a statement .
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Armenia's statement shows that this country's intention is not to advance the humanitarian process, and this step cannot be considered as a confidence-building measure.
"Azerbaijan expects Armenia to provide accurate maps of all mined areas that have not been fully provided to Azerbaijan. In addition, Armenia should take urgent measures to provide information on the fate of nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis who have disappeared over the past 30 years, as well as on mass graves where Azerbaijanis are buried," the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads.
