An explosion destroys a girls’ school as security forces defuse explosives planted under a bridge
Unidentified saboteurs carried out two major acts of terror in different areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Wednesday evening, targeting a Government Girls Middle School and a vital link bridge.
But timely action by security forces and the bomb disposal unit prevented widespread destruction and potential loss of life.
The first incident took place in Mama Khel village in Khairki area of Tehsil Hassan Khel. Unidentified persons planted explosive material inside Government Girls Middle School Mama Khel under the cover of darkness. The resulting explosion caused partial damage to the school building, cracked walls in several classrooms, shattered windows and doors, and affected other parts of the structure.
Local sources said the attack took place when the school was closed, preventing casualties among students, teachers or staff. The incident spread fear and panic in the area, with parents expressing serious concern over the security of girls’ educational institutions.
Read: School reduced to rubble in Bannu blast
After receiving information, police, security forces and relevant officials reached the spot, cordoned off the area and collected evidence. Initial investigations suggest that the motive was to harm a government educational institution, create fear among the local population and disrupt educational activities. The authorities have launched a detailed investigation of the damaged building and are assessing the extent of the losses.
The second incident took place in the Bachki area of Jani Khel, where miscreants had planted a drum filled with explosives under an important link bridge, apparently with the aim of destroying it and disrupting traffic. Security forces and the Bomb Disposal Unit team responded quickly, reached the spot and defused the explosive device with great skill, thereby averting a major tragedy.
Security sources said that if the explosives had not been neutralized in time, the destruction of the bridge would have seriously affected transport and could have led to significant loss of life.
After both incidents, law enforcement agencies have registered cases and initiated investigations.
