The mine threat persists in the regions the Azerbaijani Army liberated from occupation 30 years later. Official Baku has repeatedly demanded that Armenia hand over maps of the mined areas in the region, but no response has come from Yerevan, and no support has been offered at the international level either.
Turkish military and security expert Abdullah Ağar, speaking to Globalinfo.az, said the issue itself is extremely difficult:
“Normally, regular military formations draw up maps of the mines they lay. Moreover, even the smallest mines are shown on them. If the Armenians did this, the maps must be in their possession. For the sake of humanity, these maps must certainly be handed over to Azerbaijan. But if their aim is to complicate Azerbaijan’s work, they may try not to hand them over and to evade Baku’s questions.
Armenia may also try to take revenge on Azerbaijan in this way. In fact, if such a map exists but is not being handed over, it means attempts at revenge are under way. Demining, believe me, is a very difficult and arduous task. It is a process that can lead to very severe economic consequences and loss of life. Imagine, we are talking about hectares of territory and you do not know where the mines are. You have to identify these mines by accepting the risks, and then destroy them. The process is carried out by professional teams, and it is dangerous for them too.
Abdullah Ağar
There is also a natural aspect to the matter. Even if the Armenians have these maps, mines can shift over time. Climate conditions, terrain, rain and snow can cause this. The worst is that Armenia, acting undisciplinedly, may indeed not have drawn up maps of the mined areas. Such an eventuality is also to be expected.
The Armenians took a very wrong step during the war. They mined territories with mine-laying tractors. During the course of the war, they scattered mines in case Azerbaijani soldiers should come. Maps of such mines really do not exist.”
Turan Rzayev
Globalinfo.az
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