A bomb exploded inside a school classroom in northwestern Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, injuring at least four children, local police confirmed Saturday. The incident occurred on Friday in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber district, bordering Afghanistan. According to police, security forces arrived at the scene after the explosion and cordoned off the area. The injured children were admitted to a nearby hospital, while the cause of the blast is under investigation.
What are Toy Bombs?
“Toy bombs” are old, unexploded mortar shells. They come from past conflicts near the Afghan border. These bombs are often left in open fields or abandoned places. Children sometimes think they are toys because of how they look.
Reports suggest that a fourth-grade pupil found what toy on his way to school. The object, however, was an unexploded mortar shell, commonly referred to as a “toy bomb” in the region. He carried it into his classroom, where it detonated, injuring four students.
Past Incidents of Bomb Blasts in Pakistan
The school blast in Jamrud is another example of the frequent bomb blasts in Pakistan in recent times. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa incident echoes a similar tragedy from December 27 last year, when four children were killed and two critically injured in Bajaur district after a dormant mortar shell exploded. In addition to that on September 30, a powerful car bomb exploded outside the Frontier Corps headquarters in Quetta, Balochistan, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 30. The blast was followed by gunfire, sending panic throughout the city.
According to the PTI report, the injured students were promptly transported to a hospital in Peshawar, where they received medical treatment. All have since been discharged, according to local authorities.
Security forces have sealed off the area and initiated a search operation to locate and safely dispose of any additional unexploded ordnance. A police investigation into the incident is currently underway.
