LANDI KOTAL: Militants blew up a government primary school in NalaMalakdinkhel area of Bara in the wee hours of Thursday.

Confirming the incident, Agency education officer Ateequr Rehman told Dawn that armed men planted a big quantity of explosive material inside the building of a primary school for boys in Sher Bahadar Kali late on Wednesday night. They said that the school building was partially damaged after militants detonated the explosives.

Banned militant organisation Lashkar-iIslam has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is the first in last two years in Bara. According to official figures, 97 educational institutions were extensively damaged and another 45 partially damaged in militant attacks on schools in Bara sub-division since 2009.

The local political administration had earlier announced reopening of all the government schools and colleges in Akkakhel area of Bara after the return of nearly 20,000 displaced families to the area. Educational institutions in rest of the areas in Bara, which have been closed since September 2009, are yet to be reopened.-Correspondent