Another terrorist attack on a girls’ school in Pakistan

NEW DELHI: In a worrying development, the ongoing spate of terror in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has dealt another devastating blow to girls’ education. Geo News reports that terrorists have attacked Sofia Noor School, a girls’ school in Wana Tehsil in South Waziristan.

The aim of the school, founded with the support of the Wana Welfare Association, was to provide education for girls in the remote and underdeveloped district. But just a few weeks after its founding, the school fell victim to a bomb attack.

This incident follows a series of similar attacks on girls’ schools in the northwest of the country, which has been struggling with terrorist attacks since mid-2021. Just eight days before the Sofia Noor school bombing, another school in the southern districts was destroyed. On May 9, there was also a bombing at the Islamia Girls’ School in the town of Sheva in North Waziristan, although fortunately no injuries were reported.

The repeated attacks on educational institutions have caused fear among residents of the province who have been witnessing such attacks for years. The explosion at Sofia Noor School reportedly occurred around 3 a.m. and caused damage to part of the building, which was still under construction.

Although no victims were reported, there were claims on social media suggesting that the school administration received extortion letters. However, locals have strongly rejected these allegations.

The situation in KP had improved after police and security forces initiated measures to combat the terrorist threat. However, recent attacks on schools in Waziristan have renewed concerns among the local population, as hundreds of schools were subjected to bombings, arson or attacks with automatic weapons over a decade ago, according to Geo News.