Girls’ school in Katlang tehsil targeted

Another girls school targeted, police announced they had cleared the area of suspected militants only a month before.

MARDAN: Explosive material planted at Government Girls Middle School in Abdul Haq Banda by unknown persons, exploded early Wednesday morning partially damaging the building, police officials said.

Police said that some unknown miscreants planted explosives in a room of the school building, located on the premises of Katlang Tehsil. The officials of Katlang police station rushed to the scene after hearing the loud sound of the explosion and examined the affected room of the school. The officials found window panes broken and the walls damaged. The police personnel cordoned off the surrounding areas and started investigation after the explosion.

However, only a month back a massive search operation had been carried out by the security forces in the suburban areas of Katlang Tehsil. But after the second week of the operation the police announced that they had cleared the areas of any suspected militants.

And only a month after this announcement the school was targeted.

A resident asking for anonymity said that although the explosion at the school did not cause any causality but it spread a wave of fear among the locals. He said that the residents have already suffered during the search operation, tolerated for the better interest of their homes but it was for no good. He added that the explosion is a clear sign of the presence of terrorists in this area although the security forces were not able to find any strong leads or suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2010.