Explosion: Two policemen injured as militants blow up school

Education officer says the school will remain open despite being destroyed.

KATLANG:

Two police officials were injured in Katlang tehsil of Mardan when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off while they were visiting the site of an earlier explosion on Friday night.

According to Jabar police official Akbar Ali, a bomb planted by unidentified militants exploded with a loud noise at Government Middle School for Boys in Hamza Khan area  around 10pm. Following the blast, police rushed to the site to launch a search operation, however, another bomb planted along the boundary wall exploded when the police van reached the school. The vehicle was damaged and Assistant Sub-Inspector Itbar Shah, along with the driver, was injured.

Ali added the injured were rushed to Mardan Medical Complex where they were said to be in stable condition. “The first explosion completely destroyed three rooms, an office, the main gate and the boundary wall of the school,” he added.

According to officials of the bomb disposal squad (BDS), five to six kilogrammes of explosives were used in making both IEDs. One was planted to destroy the school while the other was planted along the boundary wall to target the police.

District Education Officer Haji Mushtaq Ahmad visited the school on Saturday morning and told journalists the school will not be closed, and will remain functional and be reconstructed soon. “Militants destroyed the rooms so the students would now have to be seated on the ground. However, we cannot stop classes and waste the students’ precious time,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2013.