Close call: Three students injured in classroom explosion

FC convoy targeted in South Waziristan; no loss reported, say officials.

WANA/ BANNU: Three students were injured when a hand grenade partially exploded inside a classroom of Bannu Government High School No-I on Monday morning.

Hameedullah, a schoolteacher, said that the incident occurred around 10am when a hand grenade, sneaked into class by a student, Salman Khan, went off partially. Khan along with two others sitting nearby, Asad Afsar and Arsalan, were injured and consequently rushed to DHQ Hospital, Bannu.

City police official Amir Rukhsar said he rushed to the site after being informed by the school’s principal. Rukhsar also summoned heavy contingents of police and the bomb disposal unit (BDU).

Rukhsar quoted BDU official Kismat Khan as saying that the grenade did not explode fully and that he defused the half-exploded bomb lying under a bench. Had it fully exploded, multiple casualties would have occurred.

Upon being questioned by the police, Salman Khan said he found the grenade in a garbage heap outside his house. He brought the bomb home and showed it to his mother who scolded him and told him to bury it in a ditch. “Instead, I decided to sell it in Bannu Bazaar after school,” Khan said.

After the incident, the school’s principal Asmatullah Khan gathered all the students in the courtyard and instructed them to inform elders immediately whenever they find such items. He also instructed the administration and staff to remain vigilant.

A case was filed and further investigation is under way.

IED attack

An improvised explosive device (IED) planted by unidentified militants targeted a convoy of the Frontier Corps (FC) en route to Shakai near Wana Grid Station in South Waziristan Agency on Monday. An official of the political administration told The Express Tribune no casualties occurred.

Local sources, however, claimed two officials were injured in the attack. Security forces cordoned off the area and conducted a search operation soon after the explosion. Sixteen suspects were arrested in the operation.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2014.