Explosion damages girls’ school as security forces defuse explosives placed under bridge
Unidentified saboteurs carried out two major acts of terrorism in different areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Wednesday evening, targeting a government girls’ college and a vital link bridge.
However, timely action by security forces and the bomb disposal unit prevented large-scale destruction and potential loss of life.
The first incident took place in Mama Khel village of Khairki area of Tehsil Hassan Khel. Unidentified individuals placed explosive materials inside Mama Khel Government Girls College under the cover of darkness. The resulting explosion caused partial damage to the school building, cracking the walls of several classrooms, shattering windows and doors, and affecting other parts of the structure.
Local sources said the attack took place while the school was closed, avoiding any casualties among students, teachers or staff. The incident has spread fear and panic in the area, with parents expressing serious concerns over the safety of girls’ educational institutions.
Read: A school reduced to ruins in the Bannu explosion
After receiving information, police, security forces and relevant officials arrived at the scene, cordoned off the area and collected evidence. Initial investigations suggest that the motive was to damage a public educational institution, sow fear among the local population and disrupt educational activities. Authorities have launched a detailed investigation of the damaged building and are assessing the extent of the losses.
The second incident took place in Bachki area of Jani Khel, where miscreants had placed a drum filled with explosives under a major link bridge, apparently with the aim of destroying it and disrupting traffic. Security forces and the Bomb Disposal Unit team responded quickly, reaching the site and managing to defuse 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 transportation and could have led to significant loss of life.
Following these two incidents, law enforcement agencies registered cases and initiated investigations.
