KABUL, Afghanistan — Two children have been killed and five others injured after an old, unexploded ordnance (UXO) detonated in Batikot district, Nangarhar province, officials said.
Sayed Tayeb Hamad, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Nangarhar police, told reporters that the incident occurred on Thursday (February 12) in the “Spin Khor,” fourth farm area of Batikot district.
The explosion reportedly happened after the children set the unexploded device on fire. The injured children were taken to Nangarhar Provincial Hospital for treatment.
A similar explosion in Kunar province last month also resulted in casualties. A child was killed and six other people, including women and children, were injured when a mortar shell left over from past conflicts exploded in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province.
Decades of conflict have left large parts of Afghanistan contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance. According to United Nations data, 3.3 million people in Afghanistan live within one kilometer of mine-affected areas.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says Afghanistan ranks third globally for the highest casualties caused by mines and explosive remnants of war.
Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, now under Taliban control, reported that in the past year, 87 people died and 33 were injured due to landmine and explosive incidents, with the majority of victims being children.
According to UN estimates, more than six million people in Afghanistan are exposed to the risk of landmines and unexploded munitions, with children accounting for the majority of casualties.
The UN Secretary General has repeatedly warned that unexploded ordnance remains a major humanitarian challenge in Afghanistan and has called for increased funding for mine clearance and risk education to prevent further civilian casualties.
