More than 11,200 biological samples have been collected from families of persons who went missing during the First Karabakh War in 63 regions of Azerbaijan, Rufat Aliyev, head of the Main Military Medical Department of the State Security Service, told a session on "Progress and challenges in the search, recovery, and forensic identification of remains of missing persons" held at an international conference dedicated to missing persons in Baku on Wednesday, Report informs.
He said that a DNA database has been formed using these materials:
"Currently, nearly 4,000 of our compatriots are registered as missing persons. After the Patriotic War conducted under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev in 2020 and anti-terror measures, mass graves were discovered as a result of construction work and excavations carried out by the State Commission [on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons]. The study of advanced international experience in identifying missing persons has been kept in focus. Despite all challenges, significant progress has been made in identifying missing persons. The current level of ongoing cooperation between the State Commission, the ICRC, and relevant agencies in identifying missing persons has been highly appreciated."