Community | November 13, 2008 | 1 comment

Schoolgirls blinded in acid attack in Afghanistan

Image
Future_America
Two men on a motorcycle used water pistols to spray acid on girls walking to school Wednesday in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, blinding at least two of them, military spokesmen said.

U.S. Col. Greg Julian said Afghanistan's National Military Command Center told him that four girls were hurt in the incident. Two were blinded and remain hospitalized, and two were treated and released, he said.

The men escaped after the attack, and no one claimed responsibility for it, but Arab-language network Al-Jazeera said Taliban militants were suspected to be responsible.

The incident occurred about 8 a.m. near Mirwais Nika Girls High School in the Meir Weis Mena district.

Kandahar government spokesman Parwaz Ayoubi gave different figures on the number of girls injured, saying six were burned, one of them severely. He called the attackers "enemies of education."

According to Al-Jazeera, the girls were attacked with battery acid. Two teenage sisters, one of whom suffered serious burns, were among the victims.

"We were shouting, and people came to see what was going on. Then the two men escaped," she said.
  1. groups:
    Community,   World News
  2. tags:
    News World World News Human Rights 9 more
  3.     
    |

1 comment // Schoolgirls blinded in acid attack in Afghanistan

more from Community:

top videos