JABRAYIL, Azerbaijan, July 12. Members of the globally renowned Most Traveled People (MTP) international travel club concluded their tour of Karabakh and East Zangezur with a visit to Azerbaijan's Jabrayil, where they witnessed active mine clearance operations in the village of Mehdili, Trend’s regional correspondent
The group followed a route passing through Fuzuli, Khojavend, Shusha, Khankendi, Khojaly, Aghdam, Kalbajar, Lachin, and Zangilan and finally arrived in Jabrayil. In Mehdili, they visited areas where demining efforts are underway, carried out by the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA).
Travelers were briefed on the extensive contamination of the territory with mines during the occupation and informed that numerous civilians had been killed or injured as a result of lingering explosive hazards. They learned that both anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, as well as mixed minefields, are prevalent in the region, along with unexploded ordnance discovered during clearance.
Officials noted that the majority of the anti-personnel mines uncovered are of Armenian origin. The attendees were subsequently acquainted with the triad of primary demining methodologies employed in the region: mechanized clearance, manual excavation, and canine-assisted operations conducted with specially trained detection canines.
The group later observed a live detonation in which recovered mines were neutralized.
The delegation, which includes travelers from 15 countries, is headed by American Charles Veley, the founder of the MTP club. Organizers noted that this journey forms part of a growing effort to introduce the liberated territories through "dark tourism," providing a close-up view of the destruction and Azerbaijan’s large-scale reconstruction work. Karabakh and East Zangezur have been visited 13 times by international travelers in the last 4 years through the main international travel clubs. This latest visit marks the 14th such delegation to the region.
The Jabrayil district is situated on the Karabakh Range and Geyen Plain, southeast of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. The Armenian army took over the district on August 23, 1993. The district sustained damage totaling 13.928 billion US dollars as a result of the occupation. About 400 people, 13 of whom were children, were slain in the Jabrayil district between 1988 and 1993 for their valiant resistance against the Armenian invaders. Up to 2,000 communities, tent camps, freight cars, and dorms were established by IDPs from Jabrayil in 58 regions of the republic. The city was liberated on October 4, 2020, by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. This victory followed the earlier liberation of villages in the Jabrayil district, including Boyuk Marjanli and Nuzgar villages.
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