PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Unidentified attackers detonated explosives at a government boys’ school in South Waziristan late Monday, destroying several sections of the building but causing no reported casualties, according to police officials.
The blast targeted the Government Middle School Boys Sharif Khan Kot in the Birmal tehsil of the district, a region that has witnessed periodic militant violence in recent years.
Muhammad Tahir Shah Wazir, the district police officer for South Waziristan Lower, said the explosion damaged two classrooms, washrooms, the main entrance gate and part of the boundary wall. The force of the blast was heard in surrounding areas, residents said, and nearby homes sustained partial damage, including cracked walls, shattered windows and damaged solar panels.
Police investigators cordoned off the site on Tuesday morning and began collecting forensic evidence. No group immediately claimed responsibility.
Local authorities said they were committed to safeguarding educational institutions and maintaining order in the region, where schools have at times been targeted as symbols of state authority and modern education.
In a statement, Faisal Karim Kundi, the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, condemned the attack, calling those responsible “enemies of knowledge, development and the younger generation.” He said such acts would not deter efforts to promote education in the province and pledged that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
The destruction of the school building echoes a similar episode in December 2025, when militants blew up a government girls’ primary school in the Eppi village of North Waziristan’s Mirali tehsil. That blast, which occurred at night, also resulted in no casualties but left the structure in ruins, heightening fears among students and parents.
Education advocates warn that repeated attacks on schools risk undermining fragile gains in literacy and enrollment in the former tribal districts, where access to schooling has historically lagged behind national averages.
For now, students of the damaged school face uncertainty over when — and where — classes will resume, as authorities assess the extent of the destruction and plan for reconstruction.
Leave a Reply