Twelve schools burnt down in Pakistan

Some of the schools attacked were still under construction

Twelve schools, half of them all-girls', have been burnt down by unidentified militants in coordinated attacks in Pakistan's restive Gilgit-Baltistan, triggering protest by local residents who sought safety for educational institutions which are often attacked by terrorists, officials said yesterday.

The schools in Chilas town, about 130-kilometre from Gilgit, were targeted by the militants who set them on fire and damaged school property across Diamer district, police said. Superintendent of Police (Diamer) Roy Ajmal said that schools were targeted by rebels, who fled after the attack. "Police have launched probe and security forces are searching for the culprits in the area," he said.

Commissioner of Diamer region Abdul Waheed Shah said no proof of a bomb attack on any school had been found so far. Officials also said that some of the schools attacked by the miscreants were still under construction.

Following the attacks, local residents staged a protest demanding the arrest of culprits and seeking safety for educational institutes. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, the Taliban militants have attacked hundreds of schools in north-western Pakistan in the past.

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