Parwan: Residents of a remote village in the Koh Safi district of Parwan province report that nearly 200 people have been killed by landmines left over from decades of war, highlighting a lingering danger long after the fighting has stopped.
The village, home to approximately 1,000 families, remains heavily contaminated with unexploded ordnance. Local residents say the threat of landmines is present across the area, from hillsides to farmlands.
“There have been landmines here for over 30 years,” said Mohsin Khan, a local resident. “We’ve lost around 200 people to mine explosions, and many more have been seriously injured.”
Omar Gul, another villager, emphasized the pervasiveness of the danger: “Mines are scattered everywhere—in the fields, in the mountains. No place is safe.”
One of the survivors, Ghulam Sakhi from the village of Jawzak, lost both a hand and a leg in a mine explosion while gathering firewood in the mountains. “I didn’t know it was a mine. When I picked it up, it exploded,” he recounted. Now disabled, Sakhi is unable to work and struggles with the long-term consequences of the incident.
Provincial officials have acknowledged the issue. Sayed Hikmatullah Shamim, spokesperson for the Parwan governor, stated that local authorities will collaborate with relevant organizations to resolve the matter.
Although the country has seen a return to stability in recent years, explosive remnants of war continue to cause deaths and injuries—particularly affecting vulnerable populations such as women and children.
[TOLONews]
