Taliban bomb schools in NW Pakistan

PAKISTAN: The Taliban blew up Friday three schools in northwest Pakistan where troops are fighting against militants in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan, officials said.

Buildings in two boys’ schools about 1.5 kilometres (one mile) apart were blown up in the Khyber tribal district which lies between Afghanistan and Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province. “Militants blew up a government boys’ high school and a middle school with explosives around 3.00 am (2100 GMT),” tribal administration official Rehan Gul Khattak told AFP.

There were no casualties because the properties were empty at the time, he said, blaming the Taliban and militants from the Lashkar-e-Islam (Army of Islam) led by local warlord Mangal Bagh for the attacks. Another government boys high school was bombed in the Peshawar district of Sufaid Dheri. PESHAWAR, Friday, AFP