NORTH WAZIRISTAN/SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Some unidentified terrorists torched a girls’ middle school in the Razmak tehsil of North Waziristan district, while a police officer escaped unhurt in a remote-control bomb attack targeting his vehicle in South Waziristan district on Tuesday.

Officials said that there were no casualties in the two incidents. An official told Dawn that on Monday night some unidentified attackers entered the building of Golden Arrow Girls Middle School in Shakhimar village of Razmak tehsil and set it on fire. The fire gutted the furniture, ceiling, computers, books and other equipment.

Abrar, a member of Shakhimar Welfare Organisation, told Dawn this school was constructed by an organisation along with Pakistan Army’s 7th Division in 2020.

He said in March this year, some unknown attackers had destroyed the school’s solar power system. The attack had caused panic among the school students, but the area’s elders had persuaded the girls to continue their education.

Attacks on schools have recently surged in North and South Waziristan. On May 9, terrorists set a girls’ private school in the Shawa area of South Waziristan on fire.

Similarly, on May 17, unidentified terrorists bombed an under-construction girls’ private school in Lower South Waziristan.

Police officer survives attack

Meanwhile, Usman Mehsud, the additional SHO of Azam Warsak Police Station, Lower South Waziristan district, narrowly survived a remote-control bomb attack targeting his vehicle on Monday.

SHO Azam Warsak Zabiullah Wazir told Dawn that the blast took place about 150m from the police station in which the vehicle of Mr Mehsud was targeted. He said Mr Mehsud escaped unhurt, adding that the officer’s car damaged in the attack.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2024