GILGIT: Police on Sunday foiled a bid to blow up a girls’ school in Ghizer district and arrested six suspects.

According to the initial investigation, the arrested suspects are students of a local seminary. The plot to target the school was allegedly made at the seminary.

Police said the suspects were planning on Saturday night to bomb the school, which is part of the Aga Khan Schools network.

Police recovered explosive material and petrol during a raid on the seminary in Gahkuch, the district headquarters of Ghizer.

Police arrested Ahsan­ullah, who was heading a ‘terrorist group’. He belongs to Yasin valley in Ghizer. Later, other suspects — Ismail, Ahmed Iqbal, Raziullah, Abdul Zaheer and Ghulam — were also arrested.

Police said the suspected terrorists had confessed to their involvement in blowing up several schools in Diamer. They also confessed to their involvement in failed attempts to target Prince Karim Aga Khan during his visit to Gilgit-Baltistan in June this year and former GB governor Pir Karam Ali Shah in a bomb attack.

At least 15 girls’ schools were damaged in attacks in Diamer district earlier this month.

Three suspected terrorists involved in destroying the schools had been killed in police encounters.

GB government spokesman Faizullah Faraq said a targeted operation against suspects involved in torching of schools was being carried out in Diamer.

He said that 50 wanted terrorists had surrendered in Diamer so far.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2018