KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local sources report that the Bibi Amina girls’ school in Panjshir province was set ablaze on Sunday by alleged members of the ruling Taliban.
The Taliban’s provincial police command confirmed the incident, stating that the fire broke out around 9:30 PM and was extinguished by firefighters. However, Abdullah Aqab Farooqi, the spokesperson for the police command, did not provide details on the extent of the damage or the cause of the fire.
According to Farooqi, three individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident, reportedly confessing to their involvement. However, he did not disclose the identities of those arrested or their motivations.
Local sources indicate that the two arrested individuals are Taliban members who claimed their intention was to set fire to a beehive, inadvertently resulting in the school’s destruction.
This incident marks the third school to be torched in Panjshir province in the past two years. Previously, the Taliban set fire to the Kojan High School in the Pariyan district and the Dasht Riwot girls’ school in the first district of Panjshir.
The burning of the school raises significant concerns about the safety and security of educational institutions in the region, especially for girls’ education, amid ongoing crackdowns and restrictions imposed by the Taliban.
Panjshir, home to about 200,000 residents, primarily ethnic Tajiks, has historically been a stronghold of resistance against external control. It defied the Soviet invasion in the 1980s and the Taliban during their first rule in the 1990s, and was the last province to resist the Taliban’s advance in summer 2021. Since capturing Panjshir in September 2021, the Taliban has vowed to suppress any opposition to their rule.
To consolidate power, the Taliban have imposed nighttime curfews and subjected the local population to abuse, intimidation, and coercion. Those who defy the regime’s harsh rules risk torture or execution. Additionally, the Taliban have repurposed local schools, residential areas, and private buildings into military bases, further jeopardizing the safety of civilians and educational facilities in the region.
Human Rights Watch has accused the Taliban of imposing collective punishment in Panjshir with impunity, something the Taliban denies.
