KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Three children were killed in eastern Laghman province when an unexploded shell detonated on Friday, January 31, according to local Taliban authorities.
The Taliban security command in Laghman said the explosion occurred around 11:00 am local time in the Alishing district. The children, aged between 10 and 13, found the shell and attempted to play with it, triggering the blast that claimed their lives.
This incident follows a similar one in southern Kandahar province on Monday, where an explosion from an unexploded shell left behind from past conflicts killed two children, aged 11 and 15.
These incidents highlight the persistent threat posed by explosive remnants of war in Afghanistan, a country that has endured decades of conflict. The Taliban’s over two decades insurgency, in particular, has left vast areas contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance.
The United Nations estimates that two-thirds of Afghanistan’s districts are affected by explosives, with approximately 3 million people living within a 1km radius of landmines, improvised explosive devices, and other remnants of war.
Children are especially vulnerable, often suffering fatal or life-altering injuries after unknowingly stepping on landmines or picking up unexploded ordnance scattered around the areas where they live and play.
According to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between January 2022 and February 2024, at least 1,401 people, mostly children, were killed or injured by explosive remnants of war in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, efforts to clear mines and educate communities about their dangers have been severely affected by funding shortfalls, forcing several demining agencies to suspend operations in the country.
