A girls’ school in Faryab province’s Andkhoy district has caught fire and at least eight classrooms were completely destroyed in the blaze, according to two reliable local sources.
The guard at Kalalkhana girls’ school was killed and the buildings caught fire in suspicious circumstances, causing substantial damage, one of the sources told Rukhshana Media.
Another source accused the Taliban of being behind the incident, saying that Taliban forces set fire to the school around 7.30pm on Saturday night, after killing the school guard.
Due to the sensitivity of the matter, the sources prefer not to be named.
The Taliban forces in Andkhoy district have denied any involvement, saying the fire was caused by electrical fault or shorted power lines.
The Taliban authorities said there were no casualties but added that huge damage has been done to the school.
In a separate incident, two girls died and nine others were injured following an explosion in a classroom at Jaraqdoq girls’ school on Wednesday March 29.
The Taliban, who took over control of Afghanistan in August 2021, are strongly opposed to the education of girls across the country, and girls above the sixth grade are prohibited from going to schools
and educational centers.
When the Taliban ruled parts of Afghanistan prior to 2001, there were incidents of fires at locations and schools where girls were being taught.
