Eight children die playing with rocket in Afghanistan

KUNDUZ - 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.