Dozens of Afghan Primary Schoolgirls Suspected Poisoned

Nearly 80 primary schoolgirls were poisoned and hospitalized in two separate attacks at their schools in Sar-e-Pul province, northern Afghanistan. The attacks are believed to be the first of their kind since the Taliban took power in August 2021. Girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade, and women are barred from most jobs and public spaces. The investigation is ongoing, but initial inquiries suggest that someone with a personal grudge paid a third party to carry out the attacks.