Militants Destroy Girls School In North Waziristan

A girls’ school in the former Taliban stronghold of North Waziristan, Pakistan, was attacked by militants who detonated an explosive device, causing significant damage to the building. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries from the assault, which occurred overnight on Wednesday.

The targeted school, Aafia Islamic Girls Model School in Shawa, serves 150 students and is the only girls’ school in the area. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, suspicion naturally falls on Islamic militants, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, who have a history of opposing female education.

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UNICEF strongly condemned the bombing, describing it as a cowardly act that endangers the future of many young girls. The destruction of the school was deemed a severe setback to national progress, especially in light of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent declaration of an education emergency to address the issue of 26 million out-of-school children.

Pakistan has faced numerous attacks on girls’ schools in the past, notably in regions formerly under Taliban control like the Swat Valley. The attack on Malala Yousafzai in 2012, a prominent advocate for girls’ education, exemplifies the Taliban’s hostility towards women’s schooling. Although the Pakistani Taliban have been expelled from some areas, they maintain close ties with the Afghan Taliban, whose resurgence in Afghanistan has emboldened them.