What happened
The United Nations Children’s Fund said it was deeply concerned by continued attacks on schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after a Government Girls Primary School in Kamdabak, in Tank district, was reportedly destroyed by explosives.
In a statement issued from Islamabad on 12 May 2026 and attributed to Pernille Ironside, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, the agency said the destruction was the ninth reported attack on a school in the province since the beginning of 2026. The statement said the attacks had disrupted education for more than 1,000 students and spread fear in local communities.
Local reports said an explosion destroyed the school in the Kamdabak area of the Jandola subdivision in Tank district, causing extensive structural damage. No casualties were reported because the facility was not in operation at the time, though authorities treated the destruction as a deliberate attack on educational infrastructure.
The wider pattern
UNICEF said that while no casualties were reported in the Tank incident, two teachers and a school principal were injured in a drone attack on a school in North Waziristan in January 2026.
In its statement, the agency linked the attacks to a broader education crisis in the province, saying an estimated 4.5 million children aged 5 to 16 — one in three — are out of school, with girls disproportionately affected.
Why it matters
UNICEF said every child has the right to safe, inclusive and uninterrupted education, that attacks on schools are a grave violation of children’s rights, and that schools must be safe havens and never targets. It called for urgent action to restore learning and to ensure students can return to school safely, and for the protection of children and their right to education to be upheld at all times.
What is still uncertain
No group had claimed responsibility for the Tank school destruction and no arrests had been reported. The number of attacks, the disruption figures and the education statistics come from UNICEF’s statement; the account of the destruction in Kamdabak rests on local reporting of the incident.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published material, not independent reporting. Source reviewed on 2026-05-12.
- UNICEF Pakistan — "UNICEF calls for protection of schools following attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa"12 May 2026 · Statement by Pernille Ironside on the destruction of the Kamdabak school, the ninth school attack since the start of 2026, and calls for protection of schools.
- Khyber Chronicles — "Government Girls Primary School blown up in Tank district"Local report on the destruction of the school in Kamdabak, Jandola subdivision, Tank district, and the damage assessment.
