January 10, 2025
By Aitzaz Ibrahim
LAHORE
A government girls’ primary school was partially damaged after an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in the tri-border region of Taunsa district during the night between January 7 and 8, officials said.
The explosion targeted the Government Girls Primary School located in Basti Jooter of Koh-i-Suleman tehsil, Northern Tuman Qaisrani, an area that falls under the jurisdiction of the Border Military Police’s (BMP) Lakhani post. The locality lies along the boundary of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and is regarded as one of the most sensitive security zones in Punjab.
According to police officials, the explosive device was planted near the school building and detonated during the night, when no staff or students were present. The blast caused significant structural damage to the school, including the collapse of the boundary wall, a washroom, a veranda and one classroom.
Police said the attack was carried out by banned terrorist outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The explosion damaged parts of the school building and disrupted educational infrastructure in the remote border area.
The affected school was operating as an outsourced institution under Phase-I through a Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) licensee. Officials said the school currently had an enrollment of 134 students and employed four teachers. The institution was closed at the time of the blast due to winter vacations, which are scheduled to continue until January 11.
Authorities confirmed that no casualties were reported in the incident, as the explosion occurred during the night and no individuals were present inside the school premises. Officials said an initial assessment indicated that the blast was intended to damage the building and interrupt academic activities in the area.
The region is primarily policed by the Border Military Police, while district police have also established two check-posts, identified as Lakhani and Jungi, to assist with security and surveillance. More than 100 security personnel have been deployed at each post to monitor movement and maintain law and order in the surrounding areas.
Dera Ghazi Khan District Police Officer (DPO) Sadiq Baloch said that security forces cordoned off the area soon after the incident and launched a search operation in nearby localities. He said bomb disposal and investigation teams reached the site, collected evidence and began examining the nature of the explosive material used in the attack.
Officials said investigations were underway to trace those responsible and to determine how the explosive device was planted near the school building despite existing security arrangements. No arrests were reported at the time of filing this report.
The incident in Taunsa comes amid a series of attacks on girls’ educational institutions in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in North Waziristan district, over the past month.
On December 15, a government girls’ primary school in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan was destroyed in an overnight explosion in Epi village. Police said unidentified militants planted explosive material inside the school building before detonating it, completely razing the structure. Authorities confirmed that no casualties were reported as the school was closed at the time of the blast.
Earlier, on December 10, another government primary school for girls was targeted in the Khushali area of Ayaz Kot in the same district. Officials said explosives planted inside the building were detonated around midnight, causing severe damage to the structure. The explosion was reportedly heard in nearby areas.
Law enforcement authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said investigations were launched into both incidents in North Waziristan. Officials have attributed those attacks to Taliban-linked militants operating in the region.
Security agencies said they remain on alert in border and former tribal areas following the recent incidents targeting educational institutions, while investigations into the Taunsa blast and earlier attacks in North Waziristan continue.