Eight Arrested over Sar-e-Pol School Poisonings

Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior (MOI) said Wednesday that eight people, including three women, were arrested over the poisoning of school girls in northern Sar-e-Pol province.

The Ministry said that the poisoning cases allegedly affecting over 300 school girls in the past fortnight was the work of insurgents who wanted to create insecurity in the country's education.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Kabul, MOI spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said: "Once again I want to assure our students across Afghanistan's that their police will not let the criminals get away," he said.

"Unfortunately, those that were arrested are students and workers of the schools," he added.

The Sar-e-Pol arrests come after two months of random so-called poisonings in several schools in at least four other provinces. The 300-plus girls affected in Sar-e-Pol were aged between 8 and 22.

According to reports, more than 2,000 students have been poisoned in Afghanistan since April.

Despite a lack of hard evidence for poison and some psychological experts blaming "mass hysteria" for the mystery illnesses, the government has arrested as many as 14 people in the past months over other poisoning cases.

During the press conference Sediqqi also condemned Pakistan's cross-border shelling into Afghanistan's east and asked Islamabad to help stop the attacks.

"The Pakistan government is responsible and must answer to the people of Afghanistan. We still hope that our diplomats put more pressure on Pakistan to end the attacks," he said.

Multiple missiles have been launched into eastern Kunar province in recent months, resulting in the more than 500 people being displaced.

At least two people have been killed and five others were wounded by the missiles.

He also added that Afghan security forces also arrested a Pakistani national, who want carried suicide attack in eastern Afghanistan.