Turkey's military to assist Azerbaijan's army with demining in Nagorno-Karabakh

The Turkish military will support the Azerbaijani army in clearing mines in the territories liberated from the Armenian occupation, the Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday.

The ministry said the armed forces will also provide military training for the Azerbaijani army.

The Turkish explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams will support the Azerbaijani army by clearing mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in areas liberated from the Armenian occupation, the statement noted.

The Turkish military has been providing similar assistance to the Libyan Army to facilitate the return of civilians in some areas.

Turkish demining experts and Turkish special forces have been working to clear mines and prevent accidental explosions to ensure security and a return to normalcy in areas liberated from the putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar in Libya.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27, the Armenian Army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation.

On Nov. 10, the two countries signed a Russia-brokered agreement to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

The truce is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have been withdrawing as the agreement specified.