PUL-I-KHUMRI (SW): Intense fighting continues in the northern part of the country as surge of militancy in Baghlan province forces the closure of 30 more schools while government forces reclaim a strategic point after five years in Faryab province.
Abdul Qader Rasuly, Head of Education Department in Baghlan has mentioned prevailing fighting and insecurity has forced the closure of 30 schools in Dand-e-Ghori area. He told SW that if the situation prevails, more than 1000 students would be deprived of education.
Rasuly added that the armed militants have turned the schools into their military bases and have been using them for the fighting. According to him, more than 10 other schools have either been torched or completely destroyed during the fighting between the militants and security forces in Dand-e-Ghori area in the provincial capital.
“These schools in Dand-e-Ghori are closed and the students cannot attend them, these schools have been targeted with artillery”, he said.
A number of students and local residents expressed deep concerns over insecurity. In conversation with SW local correspondent, they asked the government to swiftly prevent further fighting so that their children could go to school.
Elsewhere, the government forces on Wednesday claimed to have reclaimed a strategic point in northern Faryab province five years after the militants overrun it. The “Ghalbian” area in Garzewan district remained under the influence of militants for more than five years, officials said.
Abdul Razaq Karkar, acting district chief told SW that the area lies on the edge of Sar-i-Pul, Jawzjan and Ghor provinces’ borders with Faryab.
He claimed a top Taliban commander and his aide were killed and six more rebels wounded in the fighting for Ghalbian.
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