Girls’ school blown up in North Waziristan

Residents alarmed as prior threats ignored by authorities

MIRANSHAH:

The only private girls’ school in North Waziristan tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa fell victim to a bomb attack on Wednesday night, perpetrated by unidentified terrorists.

According to police reports, the school, situated in Shewa Tehsil, bore the brunt of the assault, resulting in severe damage to its infrastructure. Thankfully, no casualties were reported, as the attack happened in the dead of night.

Describing the incident, a police official told The Express Tribune about how armed and masked assailants forcibly entered the premises, overpowering the night watchman who suffered serious injuries during the ordeal.

Subsequently, they planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) within the building, triggering a powerful explosion. Remarkably, the watchman was released by the perpetrators before they fled the scene undetected.

Local residents voiced concerns, revealing that the school had been under constant threat from terrorist elements for some time. Despite prior alerts to law enforcement, no measures were taken to safeguard the educational institution.

This targeted school held significant importance as the sole private educational facility catering exclusively to girls in the entire North Waziristan district.

Its reputation for delivering quality education made it a preferred choice among parents.

On May 2, unknown assailants ignited a blaze at a school in North Waziristan, according to police reports. Approximately 10 to 15 individuals, yet to be identified, breached the school premises by scaling its walls, where they subdued the watchmen and proceeded to ignite solved exam papers using incendiary materials.

These papers had been collected from 23 examination centers under the Bannu Education Board.

Authorities confirmed that the fire was indeed ignited by the use of incendiary materials. Following the conflagration, the perpetrators swiftly departed the scene without encountering any resistance.

However, it was reported that matriculation question papers, stored nearby, were promptly secured and moved to a safe location in the aftermath of the incident.

Earlier in December, unidentified miscreants set ablaze school furniture valued at millions of rupees in a girls’ school located in the Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Published in The Express Tribune May 10^th, 2024.