Suspected terrorists have poisoned three girls in eastern Afghanistan for going to school, the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, said on Sunday. Mr. Karzai said three girls in Khost province were in critical condition after being poisoned by “foreign and terrorist elements,”
Suspected terrorists have poisoned three girls in eastern Afghanistan for going to school, the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, said on Sunday. Mr. Karzai said three girls in Khost province were in critical condition after being poisoned by “foreign and terrorist elements,” though a local official said the victims had recovered.
“I will not call anyone an Afghan or a Muslim who poisons an eight-year-old child because she is school-going,” Mr. Karzai said in a statement. “I will not even call them human beings, they are beasts.” Suspected Islamic militants who oppose female education often target schools in arson attacks, but direct attacks on students are rare. Mamour Saheb, a military spokesman in Khost, said the incident occurred five or six days ago outside Khost city’s only girls’ school.
“A woman gave poisoned fruit powder to the girls and told them to mix it with water and drink it,” Mr. Saheb said. “After a couple of minutes they were unconscious.” He said the girls came round in hospital. “They were treated for five hours. They vomited a lot, but they are okay now.” Mr. Saheb said security forces searched the woman’s house, detained her husband, and seized tablets and medicines. He did not identify the woman or the man. He said Afghan authorities had given the medicines to the U.S. military for analysis.
Author: Associated Press
News Service: Associated Press
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