Official: More than half of Stepanakert cleared of mines

PanARMENIAN.Net - Sappers have cleared more than half of the territory of Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh from explosives over the past weeks, they hope to complete the work by the end of this year, Director of the Center for Humanitarian Demining Samvel Mesropyan said Wednesday, December 9, RIA Novosti reports.

According to him, the center of Stepanakert has been completely cleared from ammunition that landed there during the recent conflict in Karabakh.

"This is a densely populated area, it needs to be cleared, as people are returning already," Mesropyan said.

"Hopefully, we clear the area by the end of the year. We must finish in Stepanakert, and then move to Martuni and Martakert regions."

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev on November 9 signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side has returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.