Eight children die playing with rocket in Afghanistan
September 19th, 2010 - 6:44 pm ICT by IANS
Kunduz (Afghanistan), Sep 19 (DPA) Eight children were killed when a rocket they were playing with exploded Sunday in northern province of Kunduz, the provincial governor said.
“Seven of the children were killed on the spot, while the eighth died in a hospital,” Mohammad Omar, the provincial governor told DPA.
The blast happened in Ali Abad district of the province, where Taliban fired several rockets on polling stations during Saturday’s parliamentary elections as part of a nationwide effort to derail the vote.
Omar said the rocket round must have been fired by Taliban Saturday but did not explode on impact.
Mines and unexploded ordnance have been scattered across Afghanistan as legacy of more than 30 years of war. Millions of mines were planted during the Soviet Union’s invasion in 1980s.
Taliban militants, who were driven from power in late 2001, also rely heavily on use of roadside bombs as part of their campaign against the US-backed Afghan government.
Hundreds of Afghans are killed or maimed by mines and unexploded ordnance each year.
- Seven killed in Afghan bombing - Sep 04, 2010
- NATO airstrike kills 25 Taliban in Afghanistan (Lead) - May 29, 2010
- NATO soldiers, Afghan policemen killed in blasts - Aug 08, 2010
- 24 dead in Afghan poll violence - Sep 18, 2010
- 95 killed in Afghan poll violence (Lead) - Sep 18, 2010
- 90 dead in Afghan explosion - Sep 04, 2009
- Three civilians among 17 killed in Afghan violence - Jun 19, 2010
- Two US soldiers among 16 killed in Afghanistan - Jun 16, 2010
- 11 policemen, district governor killed in Afghanistan (Lead) - Jul 11, 2010
- 15 killed in pre-election Afghan violence - Sep 16, 2010
- Eight civilians killed in Afghanistan - May 08, 2010
- 90 killed in Afghan explosion (Lead) - Sep 04, 2009
- NATO soldier, six workers killed in Afghanistan - Jul 06, 2010
- Coalition forces have killed Taliban leader Mullah Bahador - Jan 01, 2011
- Two kids killed in Afghan bombing - Apr 12, 2012
Tags: 1980s, afghan government, afghanistan, afghans, ali abad, invasion, kunduz, legacy, militants, mohammad omar, northern province, ordnance, parliamentary elections, polling stations, provincial governor, roadside bombs, rockets, soviet union, taliban, vote