Hikmet Hajiyev: After the Patriotic War, 421 people have been affected by mines

In Azerbaijan, after the Patriotic War (since November 2020 - ed.), 421 people have been affected by mines, of whom 72 were killed and 349 sustained severe injuries.

As reported by BAKU.WS, this was stated by the Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan – Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev in a post on the social network X in connection with the International Day for Mine Awareness.

He noted that while the world moves forward, Azerbaijan continues to live under an invisible threat.

Hajiyev recalled that as a result of the 30-year Armenian occupation, about 12% of Azerbaijan's territory was contaminated with more than 1.5 million mines.

"After 2020, in peacetime, more than 400 civilians have been killed or severely injured by mines. Mine contamination hinders reconstruction efforts in Karabakh and East Zangazur, as well as the safe return of former internally displaced persons. These are not just numbers. These are stories of interrupted lives, destroyed families, stolen futures. Demining is not just a technical process. It is justice. It is human dignity. It is the right of people to safely return to their homes," Hajiyev wrote.