KABUL, 15 March, 2021 (TON): On Sunday, the Afghan authorities confirmed that on average around 120 Afghans are killed by explosives every-month, including the landmines in the war-struck country.

Directorate of Mine Action Coordination of Afghanistan (DMAC) said in a statement, "An average of 120 people, including children are killed or maimed by unexploded ordnance and landmines, every month, however, the figure was 40 a month in 2001."

According to DMAC, as a result of the landmines and unexploded ordnance explosions in 2020, around 900 Afghans killed and 1700 others injured, making up 30 percent of the casualties.  

Adding, "More than 170,000 mines and unexploded ordnance have also been collected and defused over the same period.”

Including all the insurgents in the country had been using improvised explosive devices to make roadside bombs and landmines to target the security forces and the civilians.

However, in efforts to clear the areas, more than 1600 square km of land across the country contaminates with mines and unexploded weapons while 37 square km of land has been cleared last year.