JALALABAD (SW): Three public schools have been burned down by unknown insurgents in Nangarhar’s Momand Dara district recently.
Last month, the Emal Khan high school and Hazar Nau high schools were torched by insurgents. Academic documents, books, furniture and other equipment also burned down in this incident. It followed blowing up of a middle-school in the Gardi Ghaus area with explosives that destroyed the laboratory and academic documents.
The directorate of education has confirmed the incident. It informed Salam Watandar that the insurgents locked up the guard in a toilet, gathered all documents from the administration office and threw it into the laboratory before blowing it up with explosives.
As per official figures, up to 384 students including 80 girls were enrolled at this middle-school in the district.
Kabir Haqmal, director communications at the Ministry of Education, declined to comment in details, but stressed the security officials should prevent such incidents from reoccurring.
The provincial administration in Nangarhar has blamed the Taliban for these incidents. However, Zabihullah Mujahed, the Taliban spokesman, has rejected involvement, saying the group does not target academic institutions.
The residents remain worried about the prevailing situation. Khalid Khayal and Syed Haroon, two residents Momand Dara, said the government has failed to safeguard schools from insurgent attacks. Ziaur Rehman and Abbasin Baheer, two member of the local civil society, stressed some forces deliberately want to keep Afghans illiterate with such brazen attacks on schools.
Meanwhile, the Afghan National Police (ANP) in Nangarhar, has vowed to take stern actions against those involved in such crimes. Hazrat Hussain Mashriqiwal, spokesman for the ANP headquarters in the province, said the culprits involved would be arrested soon.
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