Kabul, Feb 17 (IANS) Two people were killed after an unexploded shell detonated inside a residential house in western Afghanistan’s Farah province, according to a statement released by the provincial police office on Tuesday.
The incident took place in Pusht-e-Koh district when an unexploded munition reportedly exploded after being struck inside the home. Both victims died at the scene, the statement said, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Officials have called on residents to exercise extreme caution when encountering unexploded ordnance or other suspicious objects, urging citizens to promptly inform security authorities if they come across similar materials.
Unexploded remnants of past conflicts continue to threaten civilian lives across Afghanistan, particularly in rural and remote areas where such devices may remain undiscovered for years.
On February 7, a child was killed and another injured as an unexploded ordnance left over from the past wars went off in the western Badghis province, said a statement of the provincial police office.
The accident occurred when the children were playing in Sang-e-Atash area on February 7, killing one child on the spot and injuring another, the statement said.
On February 4, the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) said that at least 87 people were killed and 333 others injured in 193 incidents involving unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan over the past year, local media reported.
ANDMA Information Department Head Hafiz Mohammad Yousof Hamad said that the Mine Clearance Coordination Department and demining organisations cleared 58 kilometres of land of unexploded ordnance in 2025 and found and neutralised 24,720 mines, Pajhwok Afghan News reported.
Hamad mentioned that 67.5 per cent of the victims were children, showcasing the severe impact of unexploded ordnance on youngest and most vulnerable population of Afghanistan. He further said that 155 demining teams are conducting work in Afghanistan, Pajhwok Afghan News reported. During the past year, these teams provided awareness training to over 2.1 million people in Afghanistan.
Despite these efforts, around 105,000 square kilometres of land in Afghanistan continues to remain contaminated with unexploded ordnance.
–IANS
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