Baghlan officials said that a rocket propelled grenade fired by policemen killed six boys and wounded two other children while they were swimming in the Larkhab river outside of Darombek village on Sunday. The policemen were reportedly using their weapon to fish when a round went off-target and a landed near the group of kids.
Local officials added that the six boys who were killed were between the ages of nine and fourteen. The two other children who suffered injuries were a girl and another boy.
Six policemen were suspected to be responsible for the incident and they were promptly arrested. Their commanding officer was amongst the group taken into custody. No details were offered as to whether the officers were members of the Afghan National Police (ANP) or the Afghan Local Police (ALP).
Making use of explosives – whether loose or weaponized – for fishing is not uncommon in Afghanistan. Many of raised the issue as a matter of concern for both environmental and safety reasons.
