Three children were killed and another injured after an explosive device left over from past conflicts detonated in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Three children were killed and another injured after an explosive device left over from past wars detonated in Bala Khogyani district in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, according to the provincial government.
The children reportedly found what appeared to be a toy and began playing with it before the device exploded on Tuesday. Three children died at the scene, while another was injured, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The incident highlights the continuing danger posed by unexploded ordnance across Afghanistan, where decades of conflict have left mines and other explosive remnants in communities and rural areas.
Afghanistan is among the countries most heavily affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance, with civilians, particularly children, continuing to be exposed to the risks.
Officials have repeatedly urged residents to avoid suspicious objects and immediately inform security authorities if they encounter unexploded weapons or other potentially dangerous materials.
The latest incident follows several similar accidents reported in Afghanistan this year.
In February, two people were killed in western Farah province after an unexploded shell detonated inside a residential house in Pusht-e-Koh district. The munition reportedly exploded after being struck inside the home.
Earlier that month, one child was killed and another injured after unexploded ordnance detonated while children were playing in the Sang-e-Atash area of Badghis province.
The scale of the problem was highlighted by Afghanistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA), which reported on February 4 that at least 87 people had been killed and 333 injured in 193 unexploded ordnance incidents across the country over the previous year.
Hafiz Mohammad Yousof Hamad, head of ANDMA’s Information Department, said demining authorities and organisations cleared 58 kilometres of land of unexploded ordnance during 2025 and located and neutralised 24,720 mines, according to Pajhwok Afghan News.
Children accounted for 67.5 per cent of the victims during the period, underscoring their particular vulnerability to explosive remnants of war.
Hamad said 155 demining teams were operating across Afghanistan and had provided awareness training to more than 2.1 million people during the year.
Despite ongoing clearance operations, unexploded weapons remain a serious threat in areas affected by decades of fighting.
The latest deaths in Nangarhar have again highlighted the risks facing children who may mistake abandoned explosive devices for toys or other harmless objects.
