Drone attack near girls' school injures student

Explosive-laden drone targets school in Pabini

SWABI:

A 13-year-old girl was injured when a homemade drone carrying explosive material crashed and detonated outside the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Pabini village, Swabi district, on Friday.

According to ASP Numan Khan, the drone exploded upon impact, wounding the student who was near the school premises. Rescue teams promptly provided first aid at the scene and transferred her to a hospital via ambulance for further treatment. Other students inside the school and the facility itself remained unharmed.

The powerful blast was heard across a wide area, sending waves of fear through local residents. Officials noted that the drone landed approximately 200 yards from the school building. Had it struck the school directly, the lives of hundreds of innocent girls could have been endangered.

Police immediately cordoned off the area and launched a thorough investigation. DPO Swabi Waqas Rafiq confirmed no fatalities occurred in the incident. Upon receiving reports, the relevant DSP and a heavy police contingent rushed to the site, with the bomb disposal squad also summoned.

Authorities are examining the drone's nature to determine whether it was a commercially available model or part of a deliberate act by malicious elements. Evidence collection is underway under strict security measures, and further details will be released once investigations conclude.

The incident has heightened concerns in the region amid recent reports of attempted drone attacks in parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, with security forces on high alert.