KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A mine explosion in eastern Nangarhar province has killed at least six people, including five children, and injured four others, according to the Taliban authorities.
Abdul Basir Zabuli, spokesperson for the Taliban security command in the province, reported that the incident occurred in Darai Nur district at around 12:25 PM on Thursday, August 22.
Mr. Zabuli explained that all the victims were residents of eastern Nuristan province, and all of them were students and teachers. They were on their way to a religious school when their vehicle hit an old mine, causing it to explode, killing and injuring at least 10 people.
After enduring decades of conflict and violence, especially the Taliban insurgency over the past twenty years, Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most heavily contaminated areas with remnants of war, including landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Two days ago, unexploded ordnance killed two teenage boys, who were cousins, in the Guzara district of western Herat province.
A report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reveals that between January 2022 and February 2024, at least 1,401 people, predominantly children, were killed or injured by explosive remnants of war in Afghanistan.
“Almost 4 million people are exposed to the constant risk of being harmed, with an estimated 1.2 million m2 of land contaminated by mines, improvised explosive devices and ERW,” the UN agency said.
