Grenade attack at women's college in Pakistan injures 17 students

Mar 1, 2011, 11:49 GMT

Islamabad - At least 17 students were injured Tuesday when suspected Taliban militants hurled two grenades at a women's college in north-western Pakistan, a government official said.

Two militants escaped after throwing the grenades at the students in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, said Muhammad Adil, civilian administrator of Mardan. Mardan, the district where the attack occurred, is located 50 kilometres north-east of provincial capital, Peshawar.

'So far, 17 female students have been confirmed injured in the attack,' Adil said. 'At least two of them are in critical condition.'

The Taliban have destroyed more than 200 educational institutions in the country in hundreds of attacks.

At least two people were killed and 15 injured, mostly children, when militants targeted a school in Peshawar in January.

Taliban fighters usually target schools for girls and colleges for women because they believe that modern education is not allowed for women in Islam.

Read more about Education

Read more about Pakistan Conflict