Web Desk (MNN); An attack on a government primary school in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali subdivision has placed the academic future of more than 600 children in jeopardy, officials confirmed on Thursday.
Late Monday night, unidentified militants planted explosives inside the school located in Ayaz Kot’s Khushali area and detonated them, causing a powerful blast that was heard several miles away. The explosion destroyed a major portion of the building, leaving the community devastated.
Education authorities said the targeted school was the only operational primary institution in the vicinity. The remaining part of the damaged structure has been sealed, and authorities are working on an emergency plan to arrange alternative learning facilities for the affected students.
Local elders and parents expressed outrage, describing the attack as an assault on children’s right to education. “This school was the only ray of hope for our children. Its destruction has stunned the entire community,” a local elder lamented.
Police and the Bomb Disposal Unit have collected evidence from the site. Initial reports suggest the device may have been triggered remotely or via a timed mechanism. A search operation is underway, and the area has been cordoned off.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.
The district administration condemned the incident as an “anti-education act”, vowing that those involved will be held accountable.
This incident follows a series of similar attacks in the region. In recent weeks, Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan suffered a terrorist attack, while in October, a girls’ primary school in Lakki Marwat was partially damaged by an explosion. Last year, militants blew up a private girls’ school in North Waziristan’s Tehsil Shewa, while two girls’ schools in Mir Ali were targeted in May 2023.
