Almost 80 Schoolgirls Poisoned, Hospitalised in Afghanistan

Nearly 80 girls were poisoned and hospitalized in two separate attacks on their primary school in northern Afghanistan, according to an official of the local education department.

The education department official said the person who masterminded the poisoning had a personal grudge but did not elaborate.

The attacks took place in Sar-e-Bol state on Saturday and Sunday.

Muhammad Rahmani, head of the district education department, explained that nearly 80 female students were poisoned in Sanjcharak district, where 60 female students were poisoned at the Naswan Kabud Aab School, and 17 other students were poisoned at the Naswan Faizabad School.

“Both primary schools are close to each other and they were targeted one by one,” he told the Associated Press. We took the students to the hospital and they are all fine now.”

Rahmani confirmed that the department's investigations are still ongoing, but preliminary investigations showed that someone with a grudge paid a third party to carry out the attacks.

He provided no information about how the girls were poisoned or the nature of their injuries.