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Landmine claims lives of 9 schoolchildren in northeastern Afghanistan
Nov 3, 2019KABUL, Afghanistan – Nine kids on their way to school were killed when a roadside bomb detonated in northeastern Afghanistan on Saturday morning.
It is unclear as to when the mine had been planted and by whom. No group has so far taken responsibility for the attack which killed 8 boys and a girl, all aged between 7 and ten.
The United Nations has been critical of parties involved in the conflict in Afghanistan, which has claimed the lives of 1,174 citizens in this the three months to 30 September 2019.
Another 3,000 civilians have been injured in the same parent, the UN laments.
“At 8.30am this morning, tragically, nine school children were martyred in a landmine blast,” Jawad Hejri, a spokesman for the Takhar provincial governor, told the AFP news agency.
He alleged the roadside device had been planted by the Taliban, which had been in control of Takhar Province for a number of weeks prior to Afghan forces regaining control.
The militants usually plant roadside bombs as they leave an area to target advancing security forces, a BBC report said.
The Taliban at the time of writing had not responded to a request for comment.
(File photo).
