A landmine explosion near Susuzluq, Azerbaijan killed two journalists, marking the first journalist deaths on Azerbaijani territory after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
Key Facts
- Date
- 4 June 2021
- Deaths
- 3 people
- Journalists killed
- 2 people
- Wounded
- 4 people
- Region
- Kalbajar region, Azerbaijan
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, areas of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar region remained contaminated with landmines. Azerbaijan alleged that Armenia failed to provide maps of mined territories, leaving civilians and visitors exposed to unexploded ordnance in recovered lands.
On 4 June 2021, a landmine detonated near the village of Susuzluq in Azerbaijan's Kalbajar region, killing three people—two of whom were journalists—and wounding four others. It was the first recorded case of journalist fatalities on Azerbaijani territory in the aftermath of the 2020 war.
The explosion prompted international condemnation and expressions of concern from ambassadors, Human Rights Watch, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the International Federation of Journalists. Azerbaijan used the incident to publicly accuse Armenia of withholding mine maps, intensifying diplomatic pressure over post-war demining obligations.