Two Afghan children killed in acid attack
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 31 March 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Two Afghan children killed in acid attack, 31 March 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4f7d63652c.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 31, 2012
GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Afghan officials say a girl and a boy have been killed in an acid attack in central Afghanistan.
The girl was believed to be 12 years old and the boy 15.
Provincial police chief Zorawar Zahid said their bodies were discovered on March 30 in wasteland in the Esfandi area of Ghazni Province.
Provincial Governor Musa Khan Akbarzada told RFE/RL that no one has claimed the bodies and that the motive for the attack remained unclear.
"Unfortunately, a large amount of acid has been poured on them and both are dead," Akbarzada said. "The reason for [the attack], who has committed it, and who their parents are is not clear yet. We are waiting for detailed information."
The French AFP news agency quoted witnesses who found the bodies as claiming the two were probably killed because of their friendship.
The attack is the latest incident to highlight the dangers faced by many young people in the ultra-conservative country 10 years after the U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban from power.
Late last year, a 17-year-old Afghan girl and her family were sprayed with acid in the northern city of Kunduz after they rejected a marriage proposal.
In January 2011, veteran Afghan journalist Abdul Razaq Mamon was hospitalized after an acid attack on the streets of Kabul.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
