ANAMA cleans liberated Jojug Marjanli from mines [PHOTO]

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) has already started operation to clean from mines the liberated Jojug Marjanli village of Azerbaijan’s Jabrayil region.

Currently, the territory of the village is being cleared of mines and unexploded ordnances to ensure security of the families, who will return to their homeland, Report informed.

The village was liberated from the Armenian occupation in April 2016 as a result of a successful counter-attack of the Azerbaijani Army. Now, the village is fully under control of the Azerbaijani side and people can safely live in the village.

Under the presidential order dated January 24, 4 million manats ($2.12 million) was allocated from the President`s 2017 Contingency Fund to the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs for the construction of 50 private houses, a school building and relevant infrastructure at the first stage.

More than 190 families out of 400 families, who once lived in the village, have already expressed desire to return to their homeland.

The construction work in the village will begin soon, as first 50 families out of 190 will be settled in this village at the first stage.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.