KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Two people were killed and ten others, mostly children, were injured in separate explosions involving unexploded ordnance in three provinces over the past two days, Taliban authorities said, highlighting the ongoing threat posed by war remnants.
In eastern Nangarhar province, a boy was killed and a girl injured when an explosive remnant of war detonated while the two children were playing with the device in Rodat district on Wednesday, according to the Taliban police command.
On the same day in central Maidan Wardak Province, at least six children were injured in Day Mirdad District when unexploded ordnance detonated while they were playing. The provincial security command said the injured were taken to a provincial hospital, with three reported in critical condition.
A day earlier in Parwan province, a 20-year-old man died and three others, two girls and a boy, were wounded when unexploded ammunition exploded in Bagram district on Tuesday afternoon, Taliban police in the province said.
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.
