Abdurrahmanli Lower (Azerbaijan) (AFP) - On the former front line in Azerbaijan, Afsana Bayramova and her mine detection dog Rocky search for buried explosives that prevent displaced families from returning to villages they left as a result of a decades-long conflict with Armenia.

Published on: 10/11/2026 - 13:33

Azerbaijan reports that the lands located in and around Karabakh, an area administered for years by Armenian separatists, are among the most places where landmines have been planted in the world.

The war that broke out between the two neighboring countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union forced hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis to leave their homes, with Armenia taking control of the region.

Three decades later, Azerbaijan regained Karabakh and seven surrounding regions through wars and operations that took place between 2020 and 2023, which forced more than 100,000 Armenians to flee.

Today, all that remains of Lower Abdurrahmanli, a town that was on the front line in Azerbaijan's Fuzuli District, is a sign bearing her name.

Tank trenches crisscross the plain as a ruined concrete bunker overlooks the minefield.

Bayramova explains that Rocky gives a signal when he discovers a potential mine by constantly sniffing and wagging his tail, then sitting and staring at one point.

"We treat every signal as a mine," she told AFP.

Bayramova is one of the few women who work in mine clearing, a profession that has long been the preserve of men.

"Heavily polluted"

Bayramova's family comes from Zanglan, a province that Azerbaijan regained during the 44-day round of war with Armenia in 2020.

Explaining why she chose to work in mine clearance, she says, “I did not want to stand idly by...and I wanted to contribute to our country.”

Director of Operations at the Azerbaijan Demining Agency, Jaber Sammadov, confirms that the teams have removed mines in more than 309,000 hectares since 2020, and deactivated about 69,000 mines and nearly 200,000 unexploded ordnance.

Mine explosions have killed more than 73 people and injured 370 since the 2020 war, according to Azerbaijani authorities.

Sammadov adds that Lower Abdurrahmanli is “heavily contaminated” with mines.

The area is dotted with mines planted by Armenian forces along their former defensive positions, as well as unexploded ordnance resulting from Azerbaijani bombing.

Before heading out to the minefields each morning, the dogs must find samples of explosives in a designated testing area, and any dog ​​that fails this test is excluded.

When a potential explosive material is detected, a second dog checks the approach route before a demining expert begins investigating the site.

The dogs are rewarded with a ball, but only after confirming that they have detected an explosive substance.

Azerbaijan's hot and dry summers in the lowlands, where temperatures exceed forty degrees Celsius, hamper the work of dogs.

Bayramova points out that dogs face heat from the sun and the earth. Illness and injuries to her paws can keep her out of the field. Trainers usually adopt dogs that can no longer perform the task.

Any mistake could lead to death

Some people affected by mines volunteer to help clear the area.

Asif Akhmedov fled the region in 1992, and although he survived, he lost his brother and his leg four days after the war ended.

He says, "We used to graze our herds there since childhood, so we know these places well."

Akhmedov recalls how he turned back one day in 2020 before he heard an explosion.

When he saw that his brother's leg was injured, he removed his belt to try to stop the bleeding before a second mine threw him away.

When he regained consciousness, he found that his brother had died. Akhmedov lost his left leg, while his right leg was seriously injured.

He added, "I did not move after that, because I realized that the next mistake would lead to my death."

His father pulled him out of the minefield and he later spent three months in the hospital.

“There is nothing left of my old life,” he told AFP, adding that he did not visit the site again.

He is now a volunteer with the Azerbaijani Mine Clearance Agency, warning schoolchildren and villagers about dangerous areas.

As for Bayramova, her reward is seeing homes built on the land she helped clear of mines.

She recently returned to Aghdam Province, where she contributed to clearing three villages of mines, and homes are currently being built there.

She expresses her happiness, saying, "We see towns being rebuilt and people returning and farming...that makes us feel proud."

© 2026 AFP

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