Over the past three months, hundreds of young girls attending schools in Iran have reportedly been affected by noxious fumes wafting into their classrooms, weakening some to the point of hospitalization. Initially, officials dismissed these incidents, but recent evidence has led them to suspect that they were intentional attacks with the aim of closing girls’ schools in the country.

The attacks come at a particularly sensitive time for Iran, which has already faced months of protests following the arrest and ensuing death of Mahsa Amini. As a result of these incidents, many parents have pulled their students from classes in Qom in recent weeks, and at least one boys’ school has been targeted as well.

Activists worry that this could be the beginning of a disturbing new trend in the country, with some speculating that it could be linked to hard-line groups aiming to replace the Islamic Republic with a caliphate or a Taliban-type Islamic emirate. Associated Press reported that the Iranian government has yet to comment on the matter or take action to investigate the situation, but this assertion appears to be false given what was seen in a video posted on Twitter by Reuters.