Militant killed planting explosives in Charsadda

An explosion was reported near a school in Palawan Qilla area of Charsadda.

SHABQADAR: An alleged militant was killed while planting a bomb near the building of an under construction school in Palawan Qilla area of Charsadda District, bordering the tribal belt of Mohmand on Thursday, officials said.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Zahir Shah Khan said that around 9:00 pm, a powerful explosion was heard near Hira Public School.“A mutilated body was found along the school wall,” he said, “ we believe that the body is of a suspected militant involved in planting explosives to destroy schools,” claimed Shah.

The mangled body is yet to be identified. “So far the body has not been identified as it has been mutilated beyond recognition,” Shah added.

Regarding the investigation into the incident he said that due to a storm in the area, the investigation process was being hindered.

Officials believed that it was a locally made bomb that went off prematurely.

The bomb disposal squad had not reached the scene an hour and a half after the incident took place.

Around seventeen schools have been destroyed in Charsadda district with 12 of them being in Shabqadar. Around 96 educational facilities have been destroyed in the neighboring Mohmand Agency.

On Wednesday, two improvised explosive devices (IED) injured as many as five people, including three journalists, after militants targeted the mausoleum of Ajmal Khattak in Nowshera.