150 schoolgirls poisoned by extremists

About 150 Afghan schoolgirls were poisoned yesterday after drinking contaminated water at a school in the country’s north, officials said, blaming it on conservative radicals opposed to their education.

Since the 2001 toppling of the Taliban, which banned education for women and girls, females have returned to schools, particularly in Kabul.

But periodic attacks still occur against girls, teachers and their school buildings, usually in the more conservative south and east of the country, from where the Taliban insurgency draws most support.