A government-run secondary school in the Azam Warsak area of South Waziristan Lower was destroyed in a bomb explosion late Saturday night, in what officials described as a deliberate act of terrorism aimed at intimidating local communities and disrupting education in the region. According to police and local administration sources, the Qarabagh High School building was completely razed after unknown assailants planted explosives inside the premises. No casualties were reported as the school was closed at the time of the blast, but the powerful detonation reduced classrooms to rubble and damaged nearby structures.
Officials said preliminary reports indicated that a militant group calling itself Fidayan-e-Islam had issued threats to the school’s students a day earlier, warning them to stay away from classes. The threats, delivered through hand-written pamphlets and verbal messages, cautioned that the institution would be targeted if it continued to function.
Law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area immediately after the explosion, with bomb disposal experts collecting evidence from the site. “The attack was premeditated and aimed at instilling fear among students, parents, and teachers,” an official in the district administration told The News. “We are determined to bring those responsible to justice.”
The blast has sparked outrage among residents, tribal elders, and education officials, who condemned the attack as a direct assault on the future of the youth in the region. Civil society representatives called for urgent measures to secure educational institutions in South Waziristan, particularly in areas where militant activity has resurged.
South Waziristan Lower, once a focal point of counter-terrorism operations, has seen a gradual re-emergence of militant threats in recent months, with targeted attacks on security personnel, government installations, and now, educational facilities. The destruction of Qarabagh High School is the first such incident in the district in 2025, raising fears of a return to tactics used by extremist groups in the past to suppress girls’ and boys’ education.
Police have registered a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act and launched a search operation in the surrounding areas. Security sources said intelligence-based operations were underway to track the perpetrators and dismantle any support networks. District Education Officer and tribal elders have vowed to rebuild the school and resume classes as soon as possible, declaring that “education will continue despite the threats.”
