New attempt in Afghanistan poisoning girls

At least 80 girls of a secondary school in the north of Afghanistan, lost consciousness Tuesday because of an apparent poisoning in a new unclaimed attack against Afghan students. The incident occurred at the Islam Qala women's center, located in Shirin Tagab district of Faryab province, said the governor of that district, Luqman Gahrik. Gahrik explained that an unknown person threw a substance to school complex that caused the youngsters, after snorting, fainted and had to be hospitalized. According to medical sources quoted by Afghan media, most children have already been discharged from care. Cases of poisoning in girls' schools in Afghanistan are quite common and are usually surrounded by some mystery. On May 1, at least 70 girls were knocked unconscious in an incident like this in Kabul and in July last year so with a hundred other students also in the Afghan capital. Many of these poisonings analysts blame the Taliban, but spokesmen for the rebels have denied involvement in these events. Insurgents, however, are opposed to the education of girls and adolescents and actually banned during the Islamic fundamentalist regime in the country (1996-2001). Since the fall of the Taliban in the wake of the U.S. invasion the international community has placed great emphasis on promoting girls' education in Afghanistan.