60 Afghan girls hospitalised after school poisoning
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The attack comes after intense scrutiny of girls’ education in Afghanistan.
PHOTO: AFP
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KABUL – Around 60 Afghan girls were hospitalised after being poisoned at their school in northern Afghanistan, the police said on Monday.
The poisoning, which targeted a girls’ school in the Afghan province of Sar-e Pol, comes after intense scrutiny of girls’ education in the war-torn nation since the Taliban took over and barred most teenage female students from attending schools.
The incident also follows a wave of poison attacks on girls’ schools in neighbouring Iran.
“Some unknown people entered a girls’ school in Sancharak District... and poisoned the classes. When the girls came to classes, they got poisoned,” said Mr Den Mohammad Nazari, spokesman for the Sar-e Pol police, without elaborating on which substance was used or who was thought to be behind the incident.
He said the girls were taken to hospital and were in “good condition”.
No one has been arrested.
In neighbouring Iran, poisoning incidents at girls’ schools
During Afghanistan’s previous foreign-backed government, several poisoning attacks – including suspected gas attacks – on girls’ schools took place.
The Taliban administration has prevented most female students from attending high school and university
The Taliban authorities have kept primary schools open for girls, up until the age of around 12, and say they are in favour of female education under certain conditions. REUTERS
