Aghdara: Participants of the international conference on ‘Uniting efforts and enhancing cooperation for addressing issue of missing persons,’ organized by Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons as part of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons, visited the mass grave site in the Balligaya village of Aghdara district, which was a former advantageous combat position.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, preliminary data suggests that the remains of more than 10 people, believed to belong to Azerbaijani servicemen, participants of the First Karabakh War, have been identified at the 29th mass grave discovered in the liberated territories. These areas, once former combat positions, allowed for maintaining control over the villages of Balligaya, Sirkhavend, and Garashlar, where fierce battles occurred during the First Karabakh War.
During the First Karabakh War, Armenian soldiers surrounded Azerbaijani forces, leading to a volunteer contingent heroically falling in an unequal battle, with their bodies not returned to the Azerbaijani side. In the searches conducted, remains of more than 10 people were discovered, marking the initial finding, with possibilities of more remains being uncovered as the area undergoes further examination.
The participants were informed that mine contamination, rugged terrain, and harsh weather conditions hinder the search operations. During the 30 years of occupation, the Armenian armed forces planted over 1 million landmines in the liberated areas. The participants also observed the demining process in the area.