Nearly 80 Afghan Schoolgirls Poisoned in Two Schools

Facts

• Separate attacks on two primary schools in northern Afghanistan’s Sar-e-Pul province poisoned nearly 80 girls over the weekend, according to a local education official, who said the suspect held a personal grudge but did not elaborate.¹
• Head of the provincial education department, Mohammad Rahmani, revealed that 60 girls were poisoned in the Naswan-e-Kabod Aab School and another 17 were poisoned in the Naswan-e-Faizabad School, both in the Sangcharak district.²
• He added that both schools are close in proximity to each other and were targeted in consecutive attacks. Rahmani said that the victims were sent to the hospital and that “now they are all fine.”³
• A Sar-e-Pul police spokesman confirmed that the girls were in “good condition” but did not provide any details on the poisoning saying that “some unknown people” entered the school, poisoning the classrooms and the girls. He didn’t specify the poison used or the suspects’ identities.⁴
• While this weekend’s poisonings are believed to be the first such attack in Afghanistan since the Taliban's takeover in August 2021, the country’s government has faced harsh scrutiny for its position banning education beyond sixth grade for girls, among other limitations.⁵
• The Afghani attacks come as neighboring Iran has seen an estimated 13K students, primarily female, poisoned since last November. Moreover, school attacks aren't unique to the Taliban as prior foreign-backed regimes were involved in similar attacks on girls’ schools.⁴

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²Associated Press, ³NBC, ⁴Reuters, and ⁵FOX News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by CBS. The Taliban’s gender-based apartheid has led to an environment where women and girls are unable to participate in the basic levels of society. In addition to the draconian laws banning women from receiving an education beyond the sixth grade, the Taliban’s overall attitude towards Afghan women has enabled terrorists to attack young girls. Whether this weekend’s poisonings were state-sponsored or not, the Taliban bears responsibility for the assault on women and girls.
• Narrative B, as provided by Khaama Press. Local police and officials are investigating the revenge attack on the girls’ schools over the weekend and will make sure that the suspects are held accountable. The most important thing is that all the girls are in good condition and none were seriously harmed. This attack reminds us that terrible attacks also occur in other nations, such as Iran, where poisonings and chemical attacks are common.