Afghanistan: Four children killed & three others injured in blast in Helmand province

Four children were killed and three others were injured in an explosion in Afghanistan's Helmand province. The blast took place on September 3 when unexploded ordnance detonated in the Hiwad Bazaar region, according to Ahmad Jan, the provincial police spokesman, as reported by Xinhua News Agency. All of the victims aged between 7 and 14 were students, the report stated.

As per Gandhara, RFE/RL, police and a local doctor informed that the blast occurred after the children brought the ordnance inside their school and started playing with it. While three died on the spot, another victim of the blast succumbed to injuries later at the hospital in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital.

Earlier on September 2, a catastrophic explosion in the western province of Herat killed 20 people, including a prominent cleric. According to Taliban-run officials quoted by Khamaa Press, the Guzargah mosque in the city of Herat was bombed at around 12:40 pm (local time).

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for Taliban, claimed that Mawlawi Mujib Rahman Ansari, the cleric who oversaw the prayers, was assassinated in a cowardly attack by the "enemy of Islam." Moreover, several explosions were reported in the Afghan capital city of Kabul last month, killing dozens of unarmed civilians.

Taliban failed to uphold human rights of Afghans

The Taliban claim to have improved security in the country since taking power a year ago, but there have been several bombings in recent months, some of which have targeted popular mosques during prayers. According to rights groups, the Taliban have broken numerous vows to uphold human rights including women's rights.

After seizing Kabul in August of last year, the Islamic authorities imposed severe limitations on women's and girls' rights, restricted the media, and arbitrarily arrested, tortured, and summarily murdered critics and perceived opponents, among other abuses. According to human rights organisations, the Taliban's human rights violations have sparked widespread outrage and jeopardised international efforts to alleviate the country's severe humanitarian condition.

Image: AP/Representative