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 Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday night, targeting a government girls secondary school and a vital link bridge.
However, timely action by security forces and the Bomb Disposal Unit prevented large-scale destruction and possible loss of life.
The first incident occurred in Mama Khel village of Khairki area in Tehsil Hassan Khel. Unidentified individuals planted explosive material inside the Mama Khel Public Girls’ Secondary School under the cover of darkness. The resulting explosion caused partial damage to the school building, cracking the walls of several classrooms, breaking glass from windows and doors, and affecting other parts of the structure.
Local sources said the attack took place when the school was closed, which prevented any casualties among students, teachers or staff. The incident spread fear and panic in the area, with parents expressing serious concern about the safety of girls’ educational institutions.
Read: School reduced to rubble after Bannu explosion
Upon receiving information, police, security forces and relevant officials reached the scene, cordoned off the area and collected evidence. Initial investigations suggest that the motive was to damage a government educational institution, create fear among locals and disrupt educational activities. Authorities have begun a detailed study 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 full of 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, arrived at the scene and successfully defused the explosive device with great skill, thus preventing a major tragedy.
Security sources stated that, if the explosives had not been neutralized in time, the destruction of the bridge would have seriously affected transportation and could have caused significant loss of life.
Following both incidents, law enforcement agencies registered cases and launched investigations.
