KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – One child was killed and three others injured when a piece of unexploded ordnance detonated in Khost province, eastern Afghanistan, on Monday, local Taliban authorities said.
The blast occurred in the provincial capital around 10 am on April 6 in the “Mardikhel” area, according to the Taliban police command in Khost. The injured children, all girls, were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Authorities did not provide further details on the condition or ages of the victims.
Explosive remnants of war, including unexploded mortar shells and landmines left over from decades of conflict, remain a persistent danger to Afghan civilians, especially children who may mistake them for toys or useful scrap.
Afghanistan is one of the world’s most heavily mine-contaminated countries, with millions of people living in or near affected areas, according to the United Nations.
The country ranks among the highest globally for casualties from mines and explosive remnants of war. Children are disproportionately affected, often while playing outdoors or collecting metal.
A recent report by Save the Children highlighted the scale of the problem, stating that nearly one Afghan child is killed or injured by explosive ordnance every day on average. Between January 2025 and January 2026, the organization documented 338 children killed, injured or permanently disabled by such devices, accounting for nearly 70% of all victims in that period.
Meanwhile, demining and risk-education efforts have slowed in recent years amid declining international funding, forcing some United Nations agencies and humanitarian groups to reduce or close mine-action projects.
Aid groups and UN agencies continue to call on international donors to maintain and increase funding to sustain clearance operations and expand community-based education programs aimed at preventing further civilian casualties.
