KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A landmine explosion in northeastern Badakhshan province killed three children and seriously injured three others, the Taliban’s police command has confirmed.
The blast occurred around 11:00 a.m. on April 18 in the Tezab area of Zebak district, as the children were gathering wild vegetables.
The victims were two girls and one boy, aged between 9 and 14. The injured, all girls, are between 10 and 14 years old.
Landmines and unexploded ordnance continue to pose a serious threat to Afghan civilians, especially children.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, 564 people were killed or injured in Afghanistan in 2024 due to landmines and explosive remnants of war. Of those, 434 were children.
The Taliban-run Disaster Management Authority estimates that about 1,150 square kilometers of Afghan land remains contaminated with landmines.
A UN report says roughly 3.3 million people live within one kilometer of mine-affected areas.
The UN has requested $21.9 million to fund mine clearance operations this year, but efforts face major hurdles due to the suspension of U.S. aid and a decline in other international support.
