45 school girls hospitalized in suspected gas attack in N. Afghanistan

TALUQAN, Afghanistan, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Some 45 Afghan girl students were poisoned following a suspected gas attack in the northern province of Takhar on Thursday, local police said.

"Up to 45 students of Banan Middle School in Khwaja Bahauddin district were mysteriously poisoned in their classrooms and have been taken to nearby hospitals," Abdul Khalil Asir, provincial police spokesman, told Xinhua.

The affected students said they have smelled a strange gas when entering classrooms, Asir said, adding the provincial police department has launched an investigation into the case.

Gas attacks frequently take place in girls' schools by militants who are opposing education of girls and the official did not rule out the involvement of anti-government militants in the incident.

A similar attack occurred in a girls' school in southern Helmand province early last month. Enditem