File photo. Farooq Naeem—AFP
Five students were injured and a driver killed on Monday after militants attacked two school vans—in Lower Dir and Swat—though police said it was too early to determine if these were terror strikes.
In the first incident, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a school van transporting 10-11 children in the Guli Bagh village of Swat district, killing the driver and injuring two students. According to local police, the attackers were waiting for the vehicle on a motorcycle and opened fire when it passed them. They said the assailants had fled the scene after the shooting, adding that the target appeared to be the driver, as shots had been aimed at the driver’s side.
Police, speaking with local media, also claimed that it was too early to describe the Swat attack as a terror incident, adding it might have been the result of personal enmity. However, the victim’s family maintains he had no personal enmity and has launched demonstrations to demand the government immediately arrest the culprits and ensure justice. Following the attack, private schools in Swat have announced they would remain closed tomorrow (Tuesday) to protest the incident.
The second incident occurred in Lower Dir when a school van was caught in the crossfire of two rival armed groups. According to officials, the two groups were fighting each other when the van passed through the area, resulting in three students getting injured. Local police said two of the students were in stable condition, while one had been critically injured and was shifted to Saidu Sharif Hospital.
There has been a surge in terrorist incidents across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, but especially in the erstwhile tribal areas, over the past few months. Local residents have been protesting the worsening security situation and demanding authorities step in and prevent extremists from once again securing a foothold in the region. Last month, a former peace committee member, who had been on the hit-list of the Pakistani Taliban, was killed in a remote-controlled bombing in Swat.
On Sunday, authorities reported two suspected terrorists had been killed in a clash with security forces at Mingora Bypass Road in Swat. They said the clash had also resulting in four injuries among security officials, including a captain, as well as a pedestrian.