Third child dies at Afghan village

Afghan officials confirmed Tuesday the death of a third child following an explosion at a village for disabled people on Monday. Two boys, one 13 and another who appeared about 10 died Monday. The third boy was said to be four years old and died in hospital Tuesday. Two other children are being treated for blast wounds at Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar City. The blast came from an undetonated explosive on the ground, the Canadian military said Monday, possibly from a firing range they practised on in the area the previous day. Afghan provincial police say the children likely died after they picked up an unexploded shell while scavenging for bits of metal. At the news of the earlier deaths, protesters shouted "death to Canadians" and paraded the dismembered bodies of the two boys in front of a government office in Kandahar. Maj. Mario Couture said Canadians fired small arms, artillery and tanks in the area the day before, but did a thorough sweep after they left the practice range. "We have very strict policies in place to prohibit leaving behind any unexploded ordnance, and make every effort to ensure the safety of Afghan civilians and our own personnel," Couture said. He said they are conducting an investigation. The incident occurred near the village of Salehan, about 15 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City in the Panjwaii District. The victims apparently lived in a nearby village known to locals as "the handicapped village," but formally called Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Village, after the wealthy ruler of Dubai who paid for its construction. It was built specifically for disabled people including those who have been maimed by landmines and bombs. According to a recent United Nations report, civilian deaths were up 40 per cent last year, to a record 2,118 people. The report said insurgents were responsible for 55 per cent of those deaths, but NATO says that figure is much higher.