The Taliban has closed down about a hundred schools in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province, denying education to nearly 10,000 students, according to local media.
The Afghan Taliban is also recruiting students from the region to fight for them as child soldiers, officials have revealed.
The Taliban has shut all 90 schools in Badakhshan, acting governor of Badakhshan Shah Waliullah Adeeb was quoted as saying by Khaama Press. As many as 10,000 students, comprising 40% girls, used to attend those schools in Afghanistan, the report said.
"We are deeply concerned about the problem, because 40% of our students constitute girls. If the same situation continues, the education year is likely to be disrupted," acting head of Badakhshan education department Abdul Raziq Tariq was quoted as saying.
What is more worrying is that many of these students have been killed after they were recruited to fight for the Taliban.
"Recently Taliban started using children in the war. They have closed schools and most Taliban casualties are children," an official was quoted as saying.
The Taliban has always opposed education, especially for girls.
The Afghan Taliban have captured many regions in Afghanistan over recent months under the new leadership of Mullah Akhtar Mansour.
The militants have also launched a spate of deadly terror attacks across the country, including in the capital city of Kabul.
