Kabul, Dec. 16 (Reuters): Suspected Taliban guerrillas dragged a teacher from a classroom of teenagers in southern Afghanistan and executed him at the school gate after he ignored their orders to stop teaching girls, police said today.

The attack was carried out by two armed men who arrived at the secondary school in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province by motorcycle yesterday, Helmand police chief Abdul Rahman Sabir said.

“They dragged the teacher from the classroom and shot him at the school gate,” he said.

“He had received many warning letters from the Taliban to stop teaching, but he continued to to do so happily and honestly ? he liked to teach boys and girls,” Sabir said.

He identified the teacher by the single name, Laghmani.

The Taliban banned education of girls during their rule before being overthrown by US-led forces in 2001.

The guerrillas have carried out a series of attacks in the provinces on schools teaching girls since them, often burning them down at night.