Baku doubts the reliability of the Armenian maps of minefields
Since the beginning of 2021, Azerbaijan and Armenia have had several exchanges of the servicemen of the Armenian armed forces held in Baku [in Armenia they are considered prisoners of war – JAMnews] for maps of minefields in the territories that came under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the second Karabakh war.
The Azerbaijan Agency for Mine Action has expressed doubts about the reliability of the maps and forms presented.
The last time such an exchange took place was on 4 December 2021. Azerbaijan handed over 10 military personnel captured during the armed clash on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan on November 16, 2021. In exchange for its servicemen, Armenia handed over the maps of minefields in several regions which came under the control of Azerbaijan.
According to official information, between November 10, 2020, and November 22, 2021, 180 people were injured or killed by mines in the territories that came under the control of Azerbaijan. ANAMA employees have cleared a total of 6,286 hectares of mines during this period. 10,455 antipersonnel and 4,640 anti-tank mines were found and neutralized.
Today, the head of the Azerbaijani Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) Vugar Suleymanov made a statement about the minefield maps and forms handed over by the Armenian side.
“The minefield maps usually indicate the coordinates of the terrain, the types of mines placed, their number, the distance between them, information on the order of location, and camouflage. However, I would like to note that at first glance, the submitted maps create an impression that they are unreliable and inaccurate.
As you know, in order to evade responsibility within the framework of relevant international court cases, the Armenian side made a statement saying that the maps covering all minefields had been transferred. However, we doubt that the maps submitted by Armenia fully reflect the situation with mines in all territories liberated from occupation.
The Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency and the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan have already begun work on the analysis and processing of the maps. The data will then be checked for consistency and accuracy.
It should be noted that the accuracy of the data previously provided by Armenia on minefields in the Aghdam, Fizuli, and Zangilan regions is 25%.
After a thorough analysis of the maps, the public will be additionally informed about how accurate they are and what territories they cover”, the statement says.
