Report: 150 Afghan schoolgirls poisoned

(CBS News) KUNDUZ, Afghanistan - About 150 schoolgirls were poisoned Tuesday after drinking water at their high school that was contaminated, Reuters reports. Local officials blamed the incident on radicals opposed to women attending school.

Reuters said the girls suffered headaches and vomiting, with some in critical condition.

"This is not a natural illness. It's an intentional act to poison schoolgirls," Haffizullah Safi, head of Takhar province's public health department, told Reuters.

The Taliban banned education for women when it controlled Afghanistan, saying it was anti-Islamic.

Girls have gone back to school since the Taliban were toppled, but attacks against female students, teachers and school buildings have occurred, particularly in southern and eastern areas of the country, when Taliban insurgents enjoy more public support.