80 Afghan girls hospitalized in poison gas attack on school

Telegram:

The students were lining up for a Koran reading outside their school in northeastern Afghanistan on Tuesday when a strange odour filled the yard.

The school's principal, Mossena, who was herself admitted to hospital after gasping for breath, said the alarm was raised when one of her pupils collapsed.

"We took her inside and splashed water on her face," said Mossena, who like many Afghans goes by one name. Then other girls started passing out, and all the students were sent home.

It was unclear if the incident was a deliberate attack on the school, though the Taliban and other extremist groups in Afghanistan who oppose girls' education have been known to target schoolgirls. Under the Taliban's regime, girls were not allowed to attend school.

Mossena said she did not know what happened next because she collapsed and woke up in the main hospital in Muhmud Raqi, the capital of Kapisa province, which lies just northeast of Kabul.

At least 98 patients in total were admitted from Aftab Bachi school, including the principal, 11 teachers and two cleaners.

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The apparent attack came a day after 61 schoolgirls and one teacher from a school in neighbouring Parwan province were admitted to a hospital after complaining of sudden illness. They were irritable, confused and weeping, and several of the girls passed out.

Last month in Parwan, dozens of girls were admitted to hospital after being sickened by what Afghan officials said were strong fumes or a possible poison gas cloud.

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Though it was unclear if the recent incidents were the result of attacks, militants in the south have previously assaulted schoolgirls by spraying acid in their faces and burning down schools to protest the government. Scores of Afghan schools have been forced to close because of violence.

I think it is reasonable to suspect the Taliban are responsible for trying to discourage education for girls by using WMD. It is part of their sick ideology to deny education to women. The Afghans need some Crime Scene Investigators to trace the chemicals used and find out who provided them to whom. Perhaps the FBI can send some experts over to investigate.