Afghan teen critically hurt as war-era device explodes in Ghazni
Synopsis
A toy-like object turned deadly in Ghazni's Gilan district, critically injuring an Afghan teen — the latest in a grim run of unexploded-ordnance blasts. Taliban data shows 474 casualties, including 321 children, in 225 such incidents between April 2025 and March 2026, underscoring how decades-old war debris keeps killing long after the fighting stopped.
Key Takeaways
A teenager was critically injured on Tuesday in Gilan district , Ghazni province , after a war-era unexploded device detonated.
The boy reportedly mistook the device for a toy before it exploded, per the provincial police statement.
Taliban data records 96 deaths and 328 injuries from mines and unexploded munitions in the past year.
Between April 2025-March 2026 , 225 incidents caused 474 casualties , including 321 children .
Herat, Kunar, Farah, Nangarhar and Kandahar remain the worst-affected provinces.
A teenage boy was critically injured on Tuesday after an unexploded device left over from past conflicts detonated in eastern Afghanistan's Ghazni province, the provincial police office said in a statement on Wednesday.
How the blast unfolded
The incident occurred in Gilan district, where the boy reportedly picked up a toy-like object and began playing with it before the device exploded, according to the police statement. Officials did not immediately disclose the extent of his injuries beyond describing them as serious.
A country scarred by buried munitions
Afghanistan remains one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, with remnants of decades of war still scattered across rural and previously contested terrain. Provinces including Herat, Kunar, Farah, Nangarhar and Kandahar have reported some of the highest numbers of such incidents.
A pattern of recurring tragedies
On 5 May, one person was killed and three others injured in a blast involving unexploded ordnance in Parwan province, local media reported citing a Taliban police statement. The incident took place in Bagram district when a 20-year-old man tried to open a piece of unexploded ammunition; he died at the scene while two girls and a boy were taken to a hospital in Parwan, according to reports from Khaama Press.
In February, two people were killed after an unexploded shell detonated inside a house in Farah province's Pusht-e-Koh district, the provincial police office said. Both victims died at the site after the munition was reportedly struck inside the residence.
The grim numbers
At least 96 people were killed and 328 others injured in Afghanistan over the past year due to explosions caused by mines and unexploded munitions, according to data released by Taliban disaster management authorities. Between April 2025 and March 2026, 225 such incidents were reported, causing 474 casualties — including 321 children and 153 adults, per the same data cited by Khaama Press.
What officials are urging
Authorities have urged residents to exercise caution when encountering unexploded ordnance or suspicious objects and to promptly inform security personnel. With rural communities continuing to live alongside buried remnants of war, demining capacity and public-awareness outreach remain critical to preventing further casualties in the months ahead.
Point of View
Afghanistan is effectively losing a generation to ordnance buried before many of these victims were born. International demining funding has thinned sharply since the Taliban takeover, and Taliban authorities lack both the technical capacity and the global partnerships to clear contaminated terrain at scale. Until that changes, 'toy-like objects' in rural fields will keep doing the work of wars long over.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Ghazni's Gilan district?
A teenage boy was seriously injured on Tuesday after an unexploded device left over from past wars detonated while he was playing with it in Gilan district of Ghazni province. The provincial police office disclosed the incident in a statement on Wednesday.
How many people have been killed by unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan recently?
At least 96 people were killed and 328 injured in Afghanistan over the past year in blasts involving mines and unexploded munitions, according to data from Taliban disaster management authorities. Between April 2025 and March 2026, 225 such incidents caused 474 casualties.
Why is Afghanistan so heavily contaminated with unexploded devices?
Decades of successive conflicts have left mines and unexploded ordnance scattered across rural and previously contested areas, particularly in provinces like Herat, Kunar, Farah, Nangarhar and Kandahar. Many remnants remain buried or undiscovered, posing a persistent humanitarian risk.
What are authorities advising residents to do?
Officials have urged residents to exercise caution around any unexploded ordnance or suspicious objects and to refrain from touching them. They have asked people to immediately inform security authorities if they encounter such items.
Were there other recent blasts of this kind?
Yes. On 5 May, one person was killed and three injured in Parwan's Bagram district when a 20-year-old man tried to open unexploded ammunition. In February, two people were killed in Farah's Pusht-e-Koh district after an unexploded shell detonated inside a house.
