Six Children Injured in Mortar Shell Explosion in Maidan Wardak

MAIDAN WARDAK, Afghanistan – Six children were injured, three of them critically, when a mortar shell exploded in the central Afghan province of Maidan Wardak, local officials confirmed on Thursday, May 7.

According to the Taliban’s provincial disaster management authority, the incident occurred in the Ormar area of the Daimirdad district. The children, whose ages have not yet been released, reportedly stumbled upon or inadvertently triggered the unexploded ordnance while playing or passing through the area.

Three of the injured children are said to be in critical condition and have been transported to nearby medical facilities for emergency treatment. Officials have not provided further details on their current status or ages.

The explosion highlights the continuing deadly legacy of decades of conflict in Afghanistan. Landmines, mortar shells, rockets, and other unexploded ordnance (UXO) remain scattered across former battlefields, residential areas, and farmland, posing a persistent threat to civilians especially children, who may not recognize the danger.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) estimates that, on average, around 50 people are killed or wounded every month nationwide due to UXO and landmine explosions. Children account for a disproportionate number of these casualties, often while collecting scrap metal, herding animals, or playing near conflict-affected zones.

Although large-scale hostilities have subsided since the Taliban takeover in 2021, the clearance of explosive remnants of war remains a slow and underfunded process. Humanitarian organizations continue to call for expanded mine-risk education and accelerated demining operations across the country.

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