KABUL, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Afghan authorities on Thursday declared the central province of Bamiyan free of landmines and explosive remnants left over from past conflicts, making it the first province in the country to achieve this milestone.
Nearly 85 million square meters of land have been cleared of landmines and unexploded ordnance in Bamiyan over the past 36 years, according to Hafiz Mohammad Yusuf Hammad, spokesman for the authority.
Approximately 262 incidents involving landmines and unexploded ordnance were recorded in the province during this period, resulting in 330 people killed or injured, Hammad said, noting that children accounted for the majority of the casualties.
Afghanistan remains one of the world's most heavily landmine-contaminated countries. More than four decades of conflict have left a deadly legacy of explosive remnants that continue to kill or maim dozens of people every month. ■
