Pakistan: 3 Kids Among 6 Wounded In IED Blast Near Peshawar School, 2 Critical

An IED blast near a school in Pakistan's Peshawar has injured six people, including three children. The area has been cordoned off.

An IED blast near a school in Pakistan's Peshawar has injured three children. The area has been cordoned off.

Source : @Pak_AfgAffairs

A blast near a school on Pesharwar's Warsak Road in Pakstan have injured six people, including three children, two of whom are critical, The Dawn reported quoting police and rescue officials. Warsak Superintendent of Police Arshad Khan told the daily that the incident occurred near the Peshawar Public School on Warsak Road at around 9:10 am.

The injured children were moved to a private hospital for treatment and two of them are critical. The ages of the children were between seven and 10 years.

Three children were injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast on Peshawar’s Warsak Road on Tuesday morning, rescue and police officials said.

According to Warsak Superintendent of Police Arshad Khan, the incident took place near the Peshawar Public School at around 9:10 am.

Police and rescue teams were sent to the site as soon as the blast was reported, he told media persons, adding that the injured children were moved to a private hospital.

An official told The Dawn that four kilograms of explosives were planted in a “cemented block” on the side of the road to cause the explosion

The area has been cordoned off and further investigation is ongoing in the matter.

Warsak Superintendent of Police Arshad Khan said, “The element of extortion is also being considered in the blast," adding that, "It would be premature to say who was the target.”Police chief Mohammad Ashfaq Anwar said there was no clue that hinted at children being the target, Reuters reported.

The incident drew widespread criticism from top authories in the country. Condemning the blast, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar informed thay he has directed authorities to provide the best medical facilities to those wounded and also ordered agencies to complete the probe with alacrity.

Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti said, “Children are the future of this country; will protect them under every circumstance.”

This comes as the general elections to be held on February 8 approach after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Ghulam Ali said last it was difficult to conduct political activities in the area in the wake of secyrity concerns.

“The provincial government and institutions are responsible for sitting together and preparing a strategy for the way forward,” he said last week.