Girls' School Damaged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bombing
An under-construction government primary school for girls in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was damaged by an IED blast, police confirmed Friday. The incident took place in the Baka Khel police jurisdiction of Bannu district.
Details of the Attack
Unknown militants planted explosive material inside the Azaan Javed Primary School. The resulting explosion caused substantial structural damage to the building. Fortunately, the building was unoccupied, and no casualties were reported.
Investigation and Response
An FIR has been registered, and forensic teams have been deployed to collect evidence from the blast site. Authorities have condemned the attack as an attempt to undermine educational development in the region.
Historical Context: Attacks on Girls' Education
A report by the Lowy Institute indicates that over 1,100 girls' schools have been destroyed in the tribal areas between 2007 and 2017. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has historically targeted girls' schools in the region.
TTP's Influence and the Afghan Taliban
Following military operations in 2014, TTP militants fled to Afghanistan. The Taliban takeover of Kabul has emboldened the TTP, who are attempting to regain control in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and enforce similar restrictions on education for girls, mirroring the policies in Afghanistan.
Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel laureate from Swat district, was a victim of TTP violence for advocating for girls' education.