PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a government school in northwest Pakistan on Monday, killing a teenage student and injuring two others whereas two cops were killed and another injured in separate incidents in Peshawar's Matani and Kohat Road areas.
The bombing of the boys' school took place in the Shia-dominated Ibrahimzai area of Hangu district and has not yet been claimed by any group.
“A suicide bomber blew himself up near the main gate of a government boys' school, killing a young student aged 14,” district police chief Iftikhar Ahmed told Dawn.com, adding that the suicide bomber was attempting to enter the school when he was spotted by a student.
Ahmed further said that the student tried to stop the attacker at the main gate, where he blew himself up, killing the student on the spot.
Locals added that the bomber struck as the students were disembarking from school vans. The explosion also damaged the gate of the school premises.
A local intelligence official also confirmed the incident.
Hangu borders the northwestern tribal region of Orakzai, one of Pakistan's seven lawless districts on the Afghan border considered to be the hub of Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants.
The district also has a history of sectarian violence and was declared a “sensitive region” during the month of Muharram.
In another incident, a bomb targeted a government girls' school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu district.
The explosives were planted outside the school, which blew up with a huge bang and partially damaged the school building.
No loss of life was reported in the incident.
The Taliban have blown up hundreds of schools, especially for girls, as part of a campaign against what they call secular education in northwest Pakistan in recent years.
But it is not clear whether the latest incident is connected to the militant group or to sectarian unrest.
Policemen killed, another injured
A policeman, deputed outside a private hospital in the Kohat Road area of the provincial capital city of Peshawar was attacked by unknown assailants on Monday. The wounded cop died during treatment.
In another incident, unknown armed persons opened fire on two policemen performing their duties outside a private bank in the suburban Matani area.
The wounded cops were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital where one of them succumbed to his wounds.
Further details of both the gun attacks were not available until the filing of this report.