Sources in Kabul have confirmed that a number of religious schools for followers of the Shia sect, due to concerns over the arrest of female students by the Taliban, have sent their students on compulsory leave for 10 days. According to sources, this decision was made on Wednesday, June 10, and a number of female students were dismissed from classes before noon. School officials said this measure was taken amid growing concerns over the arrest of girls by the Taliban. This comes as reports from Herat also indicate that since Saturday of this week, the Taliban have arrested and imprisoned a number of women and girls on charges of not wearing the burqa. Following these arrests, dozens of women and men protested yesterday in the Jebrail area of Herat, which according to sources, was met with a harsh crackdown by Taliban forces. According to the same reports, during the shooting at protesters, two people were killed and around 30 others were wounded.
