KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban police command in Helmand (a province in southern of Afghanistan) says that as a result of an explosion of an artillery shell in the Khanashin district of the province, two children have been killed and their mother has been seriously injured.
The command, in a statement, said that the explosion occurred around 9:00 a.m. today (Wednesday, May 20) in the “Sabz Qala” village of Khanashin district.
According to the Taliban police command in Helmand, the explosion happened due to an unexploded shell being thrown into a fire inside a house, causing casualties among members of the family.
The command said that the deceased children were 3 and 10 years old, and their injured mother has been taken to hospital for treatment.
Explosions of unexploded ordnance and mines have repeatedly killed children and civilians in Afghanistan.
The latest incidents add to a growing toll from land mines and unexploded ordnance across Afghanistan, which remains one of the world’s most heavily contaminated countries after more than four decades of conflict, including the Soviet invasion, civil war, and the two-decade war that ended with the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
United Nations statistics indicate that approximately 3.3 million Afghans live within one kilometre of areas contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants. The country remains among the worst affected globally for mine and ordnance-related casualties, with children disproportionately impacted as they often encounter the devices while playing outdoors or scavenging for scrap metal.
According to a recent Save the Children report, 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, representing nearly 70% of all victims during that period.
Meanwhile, demining and risk-education efforts have slowed in recent years due to declining international funding, forcing some UN agencies and humanitarian organizations to scale back or close mine-action projects.
Aid groups and UN officials continue to call on donors to maintain and increase support for clearance operations and community-based awareness programs to prevent further civilian casualties.
