Azerbaijan says it discovered minefield in Lachin region

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Azerbaijan said it has uncovered a minefield in the eastern Lachin region following demining efforts.

A statement by the Defense Ministry late Monday said the minefield was discovered in a ravine in the southern part of the Kichik Ishigli mountain.

As many 102 anti-personnel mines produced in Armenia were destroyed following the demining, the ministry said, adding: "Necessary measures to clear the area from mines are being continued."

Azerbaijan says more than 3,400 Azerbaijanis have been injured or killed in the past 30 years due to the explosion of mines planted by Armenia.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Azerbaijan liberated most of the region during the war in the fall of 2020, which ended with a Russian-brokered peace agreement, opening the door to normalization.

The Azerbaijani army initiated an anti-terrorism operation in Karabakh last September to establish constitutional order, after which illegal separatist forces in the region surrendered.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​