Military

Military

Azerbaijan collects more than 11,200 biological samples from families of missing persons

Rufat Aliyev, Chief of the Main Military Medical Department of the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan

02 October 2024 17:30 (UTC +04:00)

More than 11,200 biological samples have been collected from the families of missing persons in 63 regions of our country, Rufat Aliyev, Chief of the Main Military Medical Department of the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan, said at the panel on 'Progress and difficulties in the field of search, recovery, and forensic identification of the remains of the missing,' APA reports.

He noted that a DNA database has been formed based on these materials: 'Currently, around 4,000 of our compatriots are registered as missing persons. Mass graves were discovered as a result of construction works and excavations carried out by the State Commission after the Patriotic War in 2020 and anti-terrorist measures conducted under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev. The study of advanced international practices in identifying missing persons has been a focal point. Despite all difficulties, significant progress has been made in identifying missing persons. The current level of cooperation between the State Commission, the ICRC, and relevant organizations in the identification of missing persons has been highly evaluated.'