Militants have attacked hundreds of educational institutions in the turbulent northwestern region. — Photo by AFP/File

PESHAWAR: Gunmen on motorbikes wounded 15 girls when they opened fire with pistols and lobbed grenades at a college party in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, police said.

Some of the victims were in a critical condition after the attack on the state-run girls-only institution in the town of Mardan, 40 kilometres northeast of Peshawar.

All the girls were aged 18 to 20, police said.

“Gunmen hurled two grenades and then opened fire with pistols. Fifteen girl students have been injured, some of them were in critical condition,” Khalid Nasim, a senior police officer in the town, told AFP.

An intelligence official in Peshawar said the attackers fled the scene afterwards.

There was no claim for the attack, but militants opposed to co-education and advocating extremist interpretations of religion have destroyed hundreds of schools, mostly for girls, in northwest Pakistan in recent years.

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.