At least four students were injured after a bomb exploded inside a private school in the Jamrud tehsil of Khyber district.
The blast occurred on Friday when a fourth-grade student unknowingly brought a live mortar shell, commonly referred to as a "toy bomb,” into his classroom.
The injured students were promptly transported to a hospital in Peshawar, where they received medical treatment.
At least four students were injured after a bomb exploded inside a private school in the Jamrud tehsil of Khyber district, located in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police confirmed on Saturday.
The blast occurred on Friday when a fourth-grade student unknowingly brought a live mortar shell, commonly referred to as a "toy bomb,” into his classroom. According to school officials, the child had found the device on his way to school and, mistaking it for a harmless object, carried it with him. The explosive detonated after it was accidentally dropped inside the classroom.
'Toy bombs,” often old, unexploded mortar shells, are remnants of past conflicts in the region, particularly in areas near the Afghan border. These devices are frequently left behind in open fields or abandoned sites and are sometimes mistaken by children for toys due to their appearance.
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 since 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.
This 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.
Experts and officials continue to warn that many tribal regions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border remain heavily mined, posing a persistent threat to civilians, especially children. Unexploded devices, often left behind from past conflicts, are regularly discovered in these communities, making public awareness and clearance operations a growing priority for local authorities.
With PTI inputs
