PESHAWAR, Aug 25: Unidentified militants blew up a government girls’ high school in Badbher area on the outskirts of the provincial capital in the small hours on Monday.

The militants also distributed pamphlets in the area asking people not to support the government or Americans, otherwise they would be punished. The pamphlets asked people to support militants in their cause, which they called the glory of Islam.

The militants faced no problem in destroying the school, situated around 50 metres off the main Kohat Road, as due to their growing activities the local police mostly remained confined to police stations in the suburban areas.

The explosion completely destroyed the 12-room school. Around 1500 students are enrolled in the school. The computer and science laboratories were badly damaged, said Mursali Khan, a clerical staff member. He added that six computers were completely destroyed.

“Around 30 to 40 militants came to the school last night and took me out,” said Rasham Khan, the school’s watchman adding that after half an hour he heard loud explosions resulting in destruction of the school. The blasts occurred at around 2:00 a.m.

During the last few months militants have been active in the adjacent Mathani area, situated close to Dara Adamkhel, and various schools, a police station and police posts were targeted. Recently, the militants started activities in Badbher area and two days ago they had attacked a police station in the area with rockets killing one cop.

Our correspondent adds from Mardan: Six shops and a private school for girls were damaged when an explosive device went off on Shamsi Road in the small hours of Monday.

Residents of the area and officials said that a home-made device was planted at a hair-cutting shop. The explosion damaged a school for girls and completely destroyed three shops. A medical store and two other shops in the vicinity were partially damaged. No loss of life was reported.

They said that the explosion created panic among the residents, who called for effective security measures in the residential areas. The district government had held a peace jirga in the police lines to review the law and order situation and work out a strategy to check criminal activities in the city.