Three children were killed in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province after an explosive device detonated while they were playing with it, in yet another tragic incident highlighting the grave dangers posed by widespread, unregulated weapons and abandoned munitions across the country.
According to international media reports, provincial police spokesman Bilal Uruzgan confirmed that the blast occurred in the Sherkhani area of Charchino district. The victims, aged between 13 and 18, were handling explosive material when it suddenly detonated, killing them on the spot.
This marks the third such incident in the past ten days, underscoring a growing pattern of deaths caused by leftover explosives and poorly secured weapon stockpiles. Earlier blasts in Kandahar and northern Balkh involving unexploded ordnance from past conflicts claimed four lives, including children, and left nine others injured.
Human rights observers and local residents continue to express deep concern over the deteriorating safety conditions under the Taliban administration. Analysts say the proliferation of weapons, mines, and explosive devices across civilian areas is a direct consequence of the Taliban’s lack of governance, failure to secure munitions, and the widespread presence of improvised explosive devices from years of militant activity.
Community elders report that unattended weapons, abandoned ammunition, and explosive remnants of war remain scattered across villages, farmlands, and residential neighbourhoods. Critics argue that the Taliban’s inability or unwillingness to clear these areas reflects serious administrative negligence, leaving civilians, particularly children, at constant risk.
The latest deaths have renewed calls for urgent international attention and coordinated demining programmes. Aid groups operating in Afghanistan warn that the absence of a structured security apparatus, combined with unrestricted movement of weapons under Taliban rule, has created a lethal environment where accidental explosions have become disturbingly frequent.
Local residents in Uruzgan and other affected provinces are urging the de facto authorities to implement immediate measures to remove landmines and explosive remnants, secure weapons stockpiles, and launch public awareness campaigns to prevent further tragedies.
As Afghanistan continues to grapple with an unstable security landscape under Taliban control, incidents like these highlight the escalating humanitarian risks faced by ordinary civilians — particularly children — living amid abandoned weapons and unchecked militant-era explosives.
