LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "This is either the work of those who are against girls' education or irresponsible armed individuals" Education Department Spokesman Jan Mohammad Nabizada in Takhar province says.
 
Since the toppling of the Taliban in 2001, who banned education for women and girls, females have returned to schools to continue their education, in particular in the nation's capitol of Kabul.

Periodic attacks still happen against girls, teachers and their school buildings. These incidents are usually in the more conservative south and east parts of the country from where the Taliban insurgency draws most of its support.

"We are 100 percent sure that the water they drunk inside their classes was poisoned," Nabizada said.

Some of the girls effected suffered from headaches and vomiting remain in critical condition. Other girls were able to go home after medical treatment. Officials said they knew the water had been poisoned because a larger tank used to fill the affected water jugs was not contaminated.

"This is not a natural illness. It's an intentional act to poison schoolgirls," Head of Takhar's Public Health Department Haffizullah Safi said.

Education ministry spokesman Abdul Saboor, however, cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the cause of the incident.

"According to our reports a number of these schoolgirls were panicked and taken to hospital and they were then quickly dismissed.

"But some others are still there. We think it is a small incident, but we are continuing our investigations."

None of the officials blamed any particular group for the attack -- fearing retribution.

The Afghan government reports that the Taliban, which has been trying to adopt a more moderate face to advance exploratory peace talks, had dropped its opposition to female education, but the insurgency has never stated that explicitly.

In the past, acid had been thrown in the faces of women and girls by hard-line Muslims while walking to school. Education for women had been outlawed by the Taliban government from 1996-2001 as un-Islamic.

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