Gunmen in Afghanistan shot and killed 12 people on August 5th, including seven Afghan aid workers employed at the Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation. Ravaged by decades of war, Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. There are an estimated 10 million landmines in Afghanistan. “In the capital, Kabul, alone an average of 50 people a day died or were injured by mines and shells in 1995,” said a United Nations report. De-miners have discovered 51 different types of mines, including one that leaps from the ground before it explodes. Mines in Afghanistan not only pose a severe security threat for civilians, but also impede the cultivation of land and food production. Although the massacre occurred in a Taliban-controlled region, Taliban officials have denied responsibility for the killings.
