The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Four children were injured after an old tank shell exploded in Afghanistan’s northern Panjshir province, Taliban police officials in the province said.
The incident occurred Monday afternoon, Aug. 3, 2026, when
the children encountered the old shell while playing in the area, according to
the Taliban’s provincial police command.
The injured children were taken to a hospital for treatment
and are in stable condition, officials said.
Taliban officials attributed the incident to what they
described as the children’s carelessness.
Afghanistan has previously recorded dozens of incidents
involving explosions of old ammunition and unexploded ordnance, killing
hundreds of people, including many children, and injuring many others.
Despite ongoing mine-clearance programs, unexploded ordnance
continues to pose a threat to civilians in several parts of the country and
periodically causes casualties.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) previously said that children account for about 80% of casualties from
landmine and unexploded ordnance incidents in Afghanistan.
