10 students are killed in school bombing

A bomb blast hit a religious school in northern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least 10 students, a Taliban official said. The explosion went off at the time of afternoon prayers at the Al Jihad Madrassa in Aybak, capital of Samangan province, said a city resident. Most of the students are young boys, said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for his own safety.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State has been waging a campaign of violence that has escalated since the Taliban took power in August 2021.