Khankendi: Azerbaijan has initiated the relocation of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) to the city of Khankendi and the Aghdara district.

According to Azeri-Press News agency, the latest relocation involved 18 families, totaling 68 individuals, moving to Khankendi, and 2 families, comprising 12 individuals, settling in the village of Ashaghi Oratag in Aghdara district.

The keys to the new homes were handed over to the residents by Sabuhi Gahramanov, Deputy Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for Khankendi and the Aghdara and Khojaly districts, along with Mahmud Afandiyev, Deputy Director of the Restoration, Construction and Management Service. During the handover ceremony, Gahramanov congratulated the families on their return and highlighted the ongoing restoration and construction efforts in the region, assuring that infrastructure and social facilities are in place to support comfortable living conditions.

Additionally, the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) conducted a mine safety awareness session with the relocated residents, providing crucial information on the dangers of mines and unexploded ordnance and the necessary precautions to take.

The relocated families expressed their joy and gratitude for the opportunity to return to their ancestral lands. The phased return of former IDPs is part of the Great Return Program, aimed at restoring and repopulating territories liberated from occupation.