Boys school blown up in Nowshera

PESHAWAR: A government-run middle school for boys was blown up in the Afzalabad area of Mera Risalpur in Nowshera district on Tuesday, a police official said.

District Superintendent Police (DSP) Nowshera Cantonment Muhammad Riaz khan said that three rooms along with the main gate and boundary wall were destroyed when a bomb exploded inside the building.

Unidentified people had broken into the building and planted the bomb in one of the classrooms. “The bomb was placed in a water cooler,” Khan added.

No loss of life was reported in the explosion, he said.

The watchman was absent at the time the explosion took place. He had gone home for lunch, Station House Officer (SHO) Risalpur Police Station Muhammad Ishaq said.

“We arrested six suspects along with the watchman in a search operation that was launched soon after the explosion,” said Ishaq. He added that all suspects had been shifted to the police station for investigations.

Hasanat Gul, Executive District Officer Education, said that the government had built two schools adjacent to each other for boys and girls. He said that all male students will now continue their studies in the school lawn till summer vacations begin.

He said that the number of destroyed schools in the district had reached 17, out of which 10 schools were for boys.

Gul added that around 250 students were enrolled at the school, out of which 150 were left without classrooms.

“Any person who believes in religion, would never attack an educational institute,” he added. Gul said that a settlement plan for students will be developed after summer vacations.

A girls’primary school was blown up in the area on May 21, while last year a boys school had also been destroyed by unidentified people. Students of these schools have been studying in lawns outside the school buildings.