ANAMA’s weekly clearance covers 1,693 hectares, neutralises nearly 2,000 UXOs

A total of 1,693.4 hectares of territory in Azerbaijan was cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) over the past week, the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) said in its weekly report, Azernews reports.

According to the agency, large-scale clearance operations were conducted across multiple regions heavily contaminated during decades of occupation. The activities covered the districts of Tartar, Aghdam, Aghdara, Lachin, Fuzuli, Shusha, Khojaly, Khankandi, Kalbajar, Khojavand, Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan. Operations were also carried out in the recently liberated villages of Baghanis Ayrim, Ashagi Askipara, Kheyrimli and Gizilhajili in the Gazakh district.

During the reporting period, demining teams located and neutralised 273 anti-personnel mines, 66 anti-tank mines, and 1,511 pieces of unexploded military ordnance. These findings highlight the scale of explosive contamination and the ongoing threat posed to civilians, returning families, and reconstruction workers in the liberated territories.

Recall that large parts of Azerbaijan, particularly territories liberated after the 2020 and 2023 operations, remain heavily contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) laid by Armenian forces over the past three decades. This contamination affects cities, villages, farmland, forests, and critical infrastructure zones. Mines have caused hundreds of civilian and military casualties since the end of the 2020 war, making demining one of the country’s most urgent humanitarian and reconstruction priorities.

Besides, ANAMA has significantly expanded its operations since 2020, deploying new technologies, including drones, GIS systems, armoured machinery and working with partner states such as Türkiye, the UK, EU members, and UN agencies. Despite this, the scale of contamination is vast, and mine clearance remains a long-term challenge for Azerbaijan’s post-conflict recovery and safe resettlement efforts.