SHARAN, Afghanistan, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Anti-government militants conducted violent attacks on three schools by hand grenades and rocket outside Sharan city the capital of eastern Paktika province on Monday, an official said.

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

"Unknown militants targeted Hazrat Belal and Sayed Jalal Bukhari high schools with hand grenades at 7:00 a.m. local time today and attacked another school with rocket outside Sharan city but fortunately no students were present at the time of attack," Wajid told Xinhua.

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

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

"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.

Earlier another official said that casualties feared as three schools were attacked by militants in Sharan city.

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

Hundreds of schools have remained closed in areas controlled by Taliban and the Islamic State outfit in parts of the conflict-hit Afghanistan.