Afghanistan Times
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Some harrowing pictures of the children maimed by the thousands of Taliban’s landmines planted across the country besides the landmines of the USSR, after decades of war, went viral on social media. Hundreds of thousands mines are planted in grazing fields, schools, pathways, where dozens of children are maimed and killed every day. There are nearly 100,000 amputees in this ill-fated country and it will take decades to demine the country. What is shocking is that mines from the US, UK, Belgium, Italy and even China have been found however the vast majority are from the war with the former USSR. The most deadliest mine used by the USSR forces was the butterfly mine which is covered in green plastic and many children are attracted towards them while taking them for toys—and the result is maimed children. We, as a nation, have been paying a heavier price of the wars which was imposed on this impoverish country by world’s leading countries. The game of death and destruction is going on. The war is just changing its phases.
Our enemies have created thousands of enemies among our own people—who by blood are very much Afghans, but by mindset very much foreigners and slaves—who by their will become foreign political tools. They think they are serving a great and sacred cause, but they have gone astray and in reality pushing the nation into a death trap. They plant landmines. They know who will be killed in these IEDs blasts. They see that Afghan children, mothers and sisters are the worst victims. But their shamelessness knows no bound as they see thousands of amputees across the country yet despite that they want to maim thousands of others. The merchants of death and destruction have planted IEDs as if a farmer sows seeds in his fields, but the lovers of life have defused over 5,000 mines in various areas of Maiwand district in Kandahar province. Imagine just 5,000 landmines only in one district. The irony is that those who plant the IEDs claim to be the saviors and kidnap and kill those who want landmines-free Afghanistan. The Taliban say they are saving the country. This is rubbing salt to the wounds of this troubled nation.
Because of the Taliban’s tomfooleries, the nation has had suffered a lot even to the extent of irreparability. Five people, including three policemen, have been killed in three separate roadside bomb blast in different parts of the country, on Thursday. A roadside blast in Pul-e-Khurmi, the capital city of Baghlan province, killed two policemen.
We live by chance because a wild estimation says there are seven million landmines scattered across the country. It literally means we survive these landmines on every second step and every second minute. Landmines are among the cheapest but barbaric weapons of war, because they continue to kill and maim innocent people. The demining process must be increased so that precious lives could be protected and many potentially prone children could be saved from becoming maimed.
