Taliban close girls' schools that had briefly opened

ISLAMABAD: Taliban authorities on Saturday shut down girls' schools above the sixth grade in eastern Afghanistan's Paktia province, according to witnesses and social media posts, after the educational institutions were briefly opened on the recommendation of tribal elders and school principals.

Earlier this month, four girls schools above grade 6 in the provincial capital Gardez and one in the Samkani district began operating without formal permission from the Taliban Education Ministry.