More Afghan school girls poisoned

About 156 Afghan school girls were poisoned on Tuesday, in the third such attack in recent weeks.

A local police chief said investigators at the school found powder that appeared to have been sprayed in the air.

Scores of unconscious students were taken to hospital.

One of the poisoned girls said she can't really remember what happened.

(SOUNDBITE) (Dari) POISONED SCHOOLGIRL, AMENA JAN SAYING:

"When I entered the class I smelt something and then I started to vomit and fell unconscious. I don't remember what happened after that."

In previous attacks, for which police blamed conservative radicals, an unidentified toxic powder was used to contaminate the air in classrooms.

The radicals oppose the education of women and girls.

Since 2001 when the Taliban was toppled from power by U.S.-backed Afghan forces, females have returned to schools, especially in the capital Kabul.

They were previously banned from both work and education.

Travis Brecher, Reuters