Army’s sapper units defuse some 128 mines, munitions in liberated lands in Sep

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The Azerbaijani army’s engineer-sapper units have defused some 128 mines and munitions since early September, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry.

Since early September, some 73 anti-personnel mines, 47 anti-tank mines, and eight unexploded ordnances have been neutralized by the engineer-sapper units, as well as 273 hectares have been fully cleared off mines on the liberated territories, the ministry said.

Furthermore, 72 PMN-E type anti-personnel mines and two anti-tank mines (manufactured by Armenia in 2019) planted by illegal Armenian armed detachments at specific sites in Lachin and Kalbajar districts, were removed and disposed of in accordance with safety rules over the last 10 days, it detailed.

Overall, the engineer sapper units have cleared some 26,455 hectares of areas on the liberated territories of mines and unexploded ordnance. Some 7,558 anti-personnel and 2,342 anti-tank mines, as well as 9,944 unexploded ordinances, have been neutralized.

Engineering support initiatives are undertaken in the liberated lands.

Earlier the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency reported that a massive number of PMN-E type mines, the use of which is prohibited under international humanitarian law, were discovered in Lachin. The discovered mines were produced in Armenia in 2021 following the 44-day war (2020).

The 1997 Ottawa Accord outlaws the production, storage, transportation, and use of anti-personnel mines under international humanitarian law.

Furthermore, Armenia breaches the provisions of Additional Protocol I of the 1949 Geneva Conventions by placing anti-personnel mines in Azerbaijan’s liberated regions and demonstrates disdain for the international community.