Kabul, July 1: Suspected terrorists of the Islamic State (ISIS) torched a school located in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province on Sunday. Three men at the school premises were also beheaded by them. The school, reports said, is located close to the porous border with Pakistan.

Although the ISIS or other militant groups have not taken responsibility for the attack, Provincial Governor Hayatullah Hayat said the "terrorists of Islamic State are behind the vicious attack" on the school. Over the past month, ISIS, which had gained influence in the region, had warned the government to shut down the schools imparting "western education".

"They brutally beheaded three attendants and set fire to the school building,” Mohammad Asif Shinwari, spokesman for the education department, told Reuters. The school library, along with the administrative offices, were completely gutted down, he added.

The modus operandi of the attack also reflects ISIS hand as the group is known for beheading their victims in order to terrorise the local populace. Shinwari said the group has been responsible for a string of bombings, along with beheading incidents in Nangarhar over the last six months.

ISIS has succeeded in gaining a stronghold in eastern Afghanistan following the death of Taliban's supreme leader Mullah Omar. After his death was confirmed in 2015, the Taliban witnessed a large exodus of cadres to the ISIS.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 01, 2018 05:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).