Landmines remain one of the gravest legacies of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and continue to claim lives long after active hostilities have ceased.

Axar.az reports that Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, made the remarks on his X account.

"Since November 10, 2020, Azerbaijan has recorded 427 mine victims — 73 killed and 354 injured — including 231 civilians. Since 1991, the total number of mine victims has exceeded 3,500 people, among them 362 children and youth and 38 women," he said.

Hajiyev emphasized that extensive landmine contamination remains a major obstacle to the safe return of displaced families.

"Beyond the tragic human toll, widespread mine contamination remains a major obstacle to the safe return of displaced families, reconstruction of liberated territories, economic development and agriculture. Every mine discovered and cleared represents not only a life potentially saved, but also a step toward recovery," he noted.

He added that mine action is not only a security issue but also a humanitarian necessity and a key condition for sustainable reconstruction and development.