4 children among 5 injured in explosion near school in Pakistan

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) – At least five people, including four children, have been injured in an explosion in northwestern Pakistan, an official said on Tuesday.

The explosion occurred near a school on Warsak Road in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Bilal Faizi, spokesman for Rescue 1122, told Anadolu over the phone.

“Apparently it was an Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) blast and initially five people, including four children, were injured in the explosion,” said Faizi.

The explosion also caused damage to vehicles and nearby buildings, while the injured were taken to a local hospital, he added.

Last week, at least 10 people, including two civilians and eight suspected militants, were killed in two separate incidents, including a suicide blast in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Islamabad accuses “Afghanistan-based” militants loyal to outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of carrying out attacks with the Taliban turning a blind eye.

Kabul, for its part, denies the charge.

Pakistan has launched a crackdown on illegal immigrants, forcing over 300,000 Afghan refugees to leave the country over the past five weeks.