Some unidentified attackers blew up an under-construction girls’ primary school in Gara Budha village, Tank district, near Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan on Friday, October 24, reported The Dawn.

According to police, the attackers had planted explosives along the school’s boundary wall and under several classrooms, which led to major structural damage to the building that was only weeks from completion. Later, a bomb disposal unit collected fragments of the device and assessed the destruction. However, authorities have not yet identified the perpetrators or their motives.

Locals Condemn the Attack

Residents immediately condemned the attack, calling it a direct assault on girls’ education.

A local elder said, “This is not just an attack on a school; it’s an attack on the future of our daughters.” Indeed, ANI reported that militant groups in northwest Pakistan frequently target girls’ schools to intimidate communities and suppress women’s education.

Separate Abduction Case

Meanwhile, on the same day, four employees of a mobile phone company were released unharmed. They had been abducted earlier in Garah Bakhtiyar while transporting telecom equipment.

The workers were freed in Garah Mastan village, reportedly because their captors feared capture during a security crackdown. Furthermore, the Counter-Terrorism Department has registered a case against unidentified suspects.