Two killed in mortar mine blast

WARDAK (Agencies): Two children were killed when the unexploded device from a past war exploded in the eastern province of Wardak in Afghanistan, according to local sources.
The explosion caused by a mortar mine of past wars resulted in the death of two children in Sayedabad district while the children were playing with it, Yusuf Israr, the provincial police spokesperson, said.
A similar incident occurred in the Sarkhakan area of the Shah Joi district of Zabul province, resulting in one child’s death and three others’ injuries.
Meanwhile, according to local sources, another blast that happened on Tuesday, March 28, caused the death of two children and injured four others in the northern Jawzjan province.
Recently, the incidence of unexploded devices from past wars has increased in several parts of the country, resulting in the death and hurt of men and women, including children.
The presence and existence of unexploded devices and the remnant in war-torn Afghanistan pose significant threats to people’s lives, particularly children.
Since last November, international bodies have contributed to support demining in the country, including Australia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Sweden, the United States, the UK, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
However, Afghanistan is still reportedly one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, taking the lives of scores of people monthly, including children, due to the explosion of unexploded devices left over from the four decades of civil war.