KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local sources in southern Helmand province say an unidentified group killed a 40-year-old man in Marjah district on Sunday evening (February 8), while in a separate incident in western Badghis province, a child was killed by an explosion caused by leftover munitions from past wars.
According to local sources, the man, identified as Habibullah, was attacked around 8:00 PM in a remote area of Marjah’s fifth zone while he was returning home. The circumstances of the killing and the identity of the perpetrators remain unclear.
In Badghis, Taliban police officials confirmed that a 10-year-old child was killed and another injured after a grenade left over from previous conflicts exploded in Sang-e-Atash district on Saturday afternoon. The children were reportedly playing with the device when it detonated.
Taliban authorities in Helmand have not commented on the killing, while officials in Badghis warned of the continued danger posed by unexploded ordnance across the country.
According to the United Nations, approximately 3.3 million people in Afghanistan live within one kilometer of areas contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war. UNAMA has stated that Afghanistan ranks as the third deadliest country in the world in terms of casualties caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Afghanistan’s disaster management authority, currently under Taliban control, says that at least 87 people have been killed and 33 injured by mines and explosive materials over the past year, with children making up the majority of victims.
Human rights groups and international organizations have repeatedly warned that without large-scale clearance operations and public awareness campaigns, civilians—especially children—will continue to pay the price for Afghanistan’s long-running conflicts.
