Nine innocent children lost their lives in southern Afghanistan when a old leftover landmine exploded while they were playing. This accident happened on Sunday in the Geru district of Ghazni province, leaving families and communities mourning the loss of their young ones.
Hamidullah Nisar ( Head of the local information and culture department) stated, “The tragic explosion happened when a group of boys and girls were playing with the landmine. The mine, a remnant from past conflicts, detonated unexpectedly, resulting in the tragic deaths of the children.
The kids who were affected, 5 girls and 4 boys between 4 and 10 years old, show how dangerous the leftover explosives in Afghanistan can be for anyone. History of warfare, which included the Soviet invasion in 1979 and the civil war, have left Southern Afghanistan covered in old which is unexploded bombs, which directly putting innocent lives at risk.
Even though there has been less war situation since the Taliban take over in August 2021, the threatens from leftover explosives and landmines is still concern to innocents. The Red Cross (International Committee) says we need to work harder to keep civilians safe, especially kids who are usually the ones most hurt in these situations.
Tragically, the incident in Ghazni province is not an isolated occurrence. Another incident in Herat province on the same day, a child lost life, and five people got injured in a another explosion caused by unexploded ordnance. These consecutive incidents of Southern Afghanistan shows how important it is to take major steps to deal with the ongoing danger from landmines and keep the people of Afghanistan safe.
