Azernews.Az

By Ayya Lmahamad

Two civilians have been killed in a mine blast in the liberated Shusha region, the Prosecutor-General's Office reported on December 9.

"On December 9, during the preliminary investigation of the incident, the prosecution structures revealed that an employee of the Voltac contracting company Orkhan Khanatov (born in 1999) and an employee of Cengiz Insaat LLC Vusal Gandaliyev (born in 1992) died as a result of a mine explosion during repair and construction work in Shusha region," the report said.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's Mine Action Agency said that the mine explosion occurred in the territory, located 1,300 meters from Dashalti village in Shusha city, which was not cleared of mines.

“The group of the agency evacuated the bodies from the mined area and handed them over to the representatives of the corresponding structures,” the agency said.

It added that an anti-tank mine was placed under an anti-personnel mine, which caused a bigger explosion and death of people.

The Investigative Department of the Prosecutor-General's Office initiated criminal proceedings under Criminal Code Article 120.2.4 (murder with particular cruelty or general danger) and other articles. An intensive investigation is underway.

Additionally, on December 9, the Prosecutor-General's Office has reported that 29 civilians and seven military servicemen were killed, as well as 109 servicemen and 44 civilians received injuries of varying severity as a result of mine explosions in the country’s lands since November 10, 2020.

Armenia deliberately and constantly planted mines on Azerbaijani territories, in violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention, thereby being a major threat to regional peace, security, and cooperation.

The Mine Action Agency reported that 10,456 anti-personnel and 4,683 anti-tank mines, as well as 12,659 unexploded ordnances, were found and defused in Tartar, Aghdam, Fuzuli, Shusha, Gubadli, Jabrayil, and Zangilan regions from November 10, 2020, to November 30, 2021.

On June 12, Azerbaijan handed over 15 Armenian prisoners in exchange for a map detailing the location of 97,000 mines in Aghdam.

On July 3, Armenia submitted to Azerbaijan maps of about 92,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines planted during the occupation of Fuzuli and Zangilan regions.

Yerevan submitted to Baku all mine maps of Azerbaijan's liberated territories as a result of talks through Russia's mediation on December 4, 2021. The accuracy of the maps is still to be checked.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a Russia-brokered peace agreement on November 10, 2020, to end 44 days of fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad

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