KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A child was killed and his mother and brother were injured after an unexploded shell from past conflicts detonated in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, local sources reported.
According to the sources, the incident occurred on Wednesday in Nangarhar’s Robat district, where the child brought the unexploded shell home as scrap metal. The device exploded inside their house, killing the child instantly and wounding his mother and younger brother. Neighbors rushed the injured victims to a nearby hospital, where they remain under treatment.
The identities of the victims are unknown. Taliban authorities in Nangarhar have not yet commented on the incident.
Afghanistan, a country devastated by more than four decades of war, continues to suffer from the deadly remnants of conflict. Unexploded shells, landmines, and other ordnance left behind by various wars pose a constant threat to civilians—especially children, who often collect scrap metal to help support their families.
The UN estimates that two-thirds of Afghanistan’s 400-plus districts are affected by explosive hazards, with around 3.3 million people living within one kilometer of mines, improvised explosive devices, or other remnants of war.
Similar incidents have been reported across different provinces in recent years, claiming the lives of many innocent children. In 2024, the International Committee of the Red Cross documented 564 casualties in Afghanistan, 434 of them children.
Meanwhile, demining operations, essential to preventing such deaths, are facing major setbacks. Funding shortfalls have forced some programs to close or scale back, leaving many communities exposed to deadly remnants of war.
