Education attacks 88% in Pakistan; worldwide 69%

315 schoolchildren killed in 753 attacks in country

LAHORE: More than 753 terrorist attacks were made in Pakistan killing 315 schoolchildren, teachers and principals of different schools besides causing injuries to 400 others between 1970 and 2014, according to The Educationist report based on data compiled by the Global Terrorism Database.

Terror attacks on schools and colleges around the world have risen to higher level in 44 years, according to the researchers at the University of Maryland. The study reveals that there is a sharp increase in attacks since 2004. Pakistan is the worst hit country of the world with militants’ deliberate aggression againsteducational institutions especially girls schools. Nigeria is the second worst hit country. Terrorist attacks on educational institutions targeted schools, universities, and educational buildings at a much higher rate (88%) than worldwide (69%) in Pakistan between 1970 and 2014. The attacks were mostly nonlethal (94%) with use of explosives (90%) or firebombs (7%) against primary, middle and high schools. Mostly the schools were unoccupied at the time of the attack however December 16, 2014 attack was altogether different one. According to the report the main objective of the attack was disturbance of the educational process, particularly at girls’ schools.

Out of the total attacks, three-quarters’ respon-sibility was claimed by TTP while 77 percent of those were carried out by known culprits. Nearly all of the attacks attributed to TTP (131) until 2013 were non-lethal.

December 16, 2014 TTP attacked the Army Public School, Peshawar killing 134 children and 10 others, while 100 children, teachers and employees sustained injuries.

March 31, 2013 the principal of a private sec-ondary school was killed and several children, including his daughter, were injured after an attack on a school in Karachi.

October 9, 2012 three attacks were carried out in Charsadda, a government school was blown up. In Peshawar militants blew up a govern¬ment primary school. On the same day Malala Yousafzai was injured in an attack in Swat.

October 4, 2011 gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on a schoolteacher in Khuzdar, Balochistan, killing him on the spot.

September 13, 2011four schoolchildren and their bus driver were killed in Peshawar during an attack on their school bus.

December 13, 2010 at least 2 people were killed and 4 others seriously injured, after a bomb explosion struck a school bus on Kohut road in the Bhana Marri area in Peshawar.

September 6, 2010 as many as 19 people were killed and more than 40 injured in a suicide car bombing in Lakki Marwat. 4 children were killed in the attack.

27 August 2010 militants blew up a govern-ment-run girls middle school in the Sipah area of Baratehsil.

19 April 2010 as many as 23 people were killed 40 others injured in two bomb attacks outside a school-run by police.

3 February 2010 at least 10 people were killed, including three US soldiers, in a bomb blast near a school in the north-west region. Three schoolgirls were among the dead.

20 October 2009 two suicide blasts occurred on the campus of the International Islamic University, Islamabad killing six students and staffers, including three women and injuring more than 29 others . This was the first-ever at-tack on students in the country since 2001.

4 February 2008 at least 10 people were killed and 27 others injured when a suicide bomber hit an armed forces bus carrying students and officials of Army Medical College, near the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

10 December 2007 a suicide attack on the school bus carrying children injured seven near Minhas Airbase, Kamra.

16 June 2006 two female teachers and two children were shot dead in Orakzai Agency.

8 August 2004 at least eight people were killed and over 40 others injured when two bombs exploded near the Jamia Binoria Madressah, Karachi.

5 August 2002 six people were killed and four injured in attack on a missionary school for foreign students in Murree.

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