MARDAN/PESHAWAR, June 30: Militants blew up a government girls school and grocery store in Mardan and Peshawar areas.

According to police officials, building of the Government Girls Higher Secondary School located in the Shahbaz Gari area of Mardan was partially damaged when an improvised explosive device planted by unidentified militants inside the school exploded on the night between Friday and Saturday.

They said police personnel and residents of the surrounding areas rushed to the spot when they heard the huge sound of the explosion. They, however, said that no one was hurt or killed in the explosion as there was no one present in the building at that time.

The officials concerned took the watchman of the school into custody after registering FIR against unidentified militants and started investigation in this regard. On the other hand, the grocery store located at Cherry Cuban Road in Pepal Mandi area of Peshawar was blown up early on Saturday, police said.

The store owner Riaz Khan said that he had no enmity with anyone nor he was associated with any of the peace bodies. He said that the entire store was destroyed but he was yet to estimate the loss the blast had caused to him.

He said that it was duty of the police to ensure protection to the lives of the people and their properties. He said maximum of the stuff had been purchased on credit.

An official of the local police said that case had been registered against unknown miscreants. He said the terrorists had planted the explosives under the shutter of the store and detonated it with remote control device at about midnight.