Afghanistan: School buildings used as military outposts by Taliban, say Panjshir residents

Panjshir residents have called on the Taliban to shift the security forces to military bases.

Residents of Afghanistan's Panjshir province have said the buildings of many schools have been used as military outposts by the Taliban, TOLO News reported. TOLO News is an Afghan news channel broadcasting from Kabul.

Panjshir residents have called on the Taliban to shift the security forces to military bases. "This is a reality, and it should not be ignored that they are settled in the schools. We are witnessing that the military has settled in the schools, and it affects the morale of the students and people," said Samiullah Sadeqqi, a resident of Panjshir.

"The military is in a school in Bazarak and thus there is less attention to schooling," said Abid, another Panjshir resident. The Panjshir residents also voiced concerns saying that the presence of the military in residential areas caused panic among the people.

"The military are in the schools and villages. We call on the Islamic Emirate to pull back the military from this area," said Panjshir resident Mian Ahmad Elham. "If this issue is followed by the senior leaders who prevent such actions, it will be great," said Rizwanullah, a resident of Panjshir.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that the issue will be shared with the military officials to find a solution for it. "We shared this issue with the officials in Panjshir to find a substitute path for the military who are settled there to prevent security issues, so that the schools will be evacuated. We also shared this issue with the education ministry," Mujahid said, as per TOLO News. (ANI)