LAHORE: Militants belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliated Ustrana group carried out an attack on a government primary school in the Koh-e-Suleman mountainous region, District Police Officer (DPO) Dera Ghazi Khan Sadiq Baloch confirmed.
According to officials, the government girls’ primary school located in Basti Jotar, Union Council Mithwan, Tehsil Taunsa, was destroyed after an explosion. No casualties were reported.
Speaking to The News, DPO Sadiq Baloch said that the Ustrana family had been involved in militant activities for the past two decades. He stated that members of the group are currently residing in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Vahuwa area of Punjab.
Following the attack, the DPO said security in border and sensitive areas had been further strengthened. The DPO stated that law enforcement agencies had previously repelled attacks by TTP militants at the Mianwali and Lakhani check posts, inflicting losses on the group. After facing resistance at those locations, he said, the militants shifted their focus and targeted a school in the Vahuwa area, which lies close to Dera Ismail Khan. According to him, militants use mountainous routes and water channels to move across the area.
He further said that police and security forces are equipped with surveillance drones, thermal weapons and other modern equipment. Due to increased monitoring and pressure, he said, militants were attempting to change their tactics and infiltrate local populations.
DPO Baloch added that tribes residing in Vahuwa, including the Khaitran and Qaisrani, oppose the TTP and do not support to the group. He said locals instead cooperate with law enforcement agencies if militants enter the area.”With the help of drones, surveillance has been increased so that militants can be traced and action can be taken,” he said.
Meanwhile, a security source said the Ustrana group is a sub-group affiliated with the TTP and is led by Nawaz Ustrana, who reportedly remained in Afghanistan until 2023. The source added that his deputy, Ijaz Ustrana, shares command responsibilities. According to the source, the group, which speaks Seraiki, is based along the border areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has had links with both Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and the TTP. Investigations into the attack are continuing.
