Kabul, Sep 3 (IANS): Anti-government militants conducted violent attacks on three schools with hand grenades and rocket outside Sharan city, the capital of eastern Paktika province on Monday, an official said.

The attacks have forced thousands of students to stay away from schools, the deputy to education department of the province, Nasim Wajid said.

"Unknown militants targeted Hazrat Belal and Sayed Jalal Bukhari high school with hand grenades at 7.00 a.m. local time on Monday and attacked another school with rocket outside Sharan city but fortunately no students were present at the time of attacks," Wajid told Xinhua.

However, the official added that the attacked schools were badly damaged in the blasts.

Usually schools in Afghanistan open at 8:00 a.m. local time for the students.

"The incidents deprived thousands of students of education in the city, at least for today, where nearly all the attacked schools properties and libraries were burned to ashes," Wajid asserted.

Although no group has claimed of responsibility, the official and locals have not ruled out the involvement of Taliban militants in the attack.