KHAR, Feb 3: Militants blew up two government schools in the Pashat area of Bajaur Agency on Tuesday.

Salarzai Political Tehsildar Adalat Khan said that about a dozen militants planted explosive devices in a primary school and a high school and detonated them early in the morning, destroying the buildings, records and furniture.

Volunteers of Salarzai tribal lashkar went after the militants, but they escaped after an exchange of fire.

A day earlier, Salarzai elders had held a meeting with representatives of the administration in Khar and reiterated their resolve to flush out militants from the area by stepping up the lashkar’s campaign.

Both the schools were built on land owned by the lashkar’s chief, former MNA Shahabuddin Khan. Another school was blown up in the same area a couple of days ago.

Militants had occupied three girls’ school in May last year, hoisted flags of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban on the buildings, and set up ‘shariat courts’ there.