Schools and children s education are the first casualty. The taliban are hitting at the Schools.
BBC NEWS
 The Taliban have been accused of repeatedly targeting schools |
Suspected Taliban militants have burnt down nine government-run schools in a series of overnight attacks in north-western Pakistan, officials say.
A health building and the home of a local policeman were also set on fire by militants in the district of Buner.
Eyewitnesses said the insurgents threw chemicals on the buildings before setting them on fire.
This is the first major attack by the insurgents in the district after it was declared safe by the authorities.
They said that an army offensive a few months ago had driven militants out of the area.
Hundreds of schools in north-western Pakistan have been burnt down in recent years by militants who correspondents say want to enforce strict Islamic law - which prohibits female education.
'Act of terrorism'
In a separate development, police said that at least two persons were killed and three wounded during a pre-dawn rocket attack in the city of Peshawar.
A senior police official said around a dozen rockets had landed in the city early on Tuesday.
Panicking residents ran out of their homes, and the office of a paramilitary force was hit, the police said.
Peshawar is the main city near the Swat valley, also scene of the recent offensive against the Taliban.
Nobody claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, which are rare in Pakistan's cities.
"It is an act of terrorism, but we don't know who the attackers are," local police official Nisar Khan told the Associated Press news agency.
He said a headquarters of the paramilitary Frontier Corps was damaged in the attack, but no-one was injured.
The capital of North West Frontier Province, Peshawar has become the front line city in Pakistan's campaign against militants.
Bombings and suicide attacks coupled with kidnap for ransom have become commonplace.
In June, the city's luxury Pearl Continental hotel was hit by a suicide bombing which left at least 18 people dead including two UN staff.
Pakistani officials also said on Tuesday at least 10 Islamist militants were killed in a suspected American drone attack in the north-western region.
They said the unmanned drone fired missiles into a suspected training camp for militants in a tribal area near the Afghan border which known to be a stronghold of the Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, who the Pakistanis and Americans believe was killed in a similar attack last week.
Taliban commanders have denied that their leader was killed.
A senior police official said around a dozen rockets had landed in the city early on Tuesday.Panicking residents ran out of their homes, and the office of a paramilitary force was hit, the police said.Peshawar is the main city near the Swat valley, also scene of the recent offensive against the Taliban.Nobody claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, which are rare in Pakistan's cities."It is an act of terrorism, but we don't know who the attackers are," local police official Nisar Khan told the Associated Press news agency.He said a headquarters of the paramilitary Frontier Corps was damaged in the attack, but no-one was injured.The capital of North West Frontier Province, Peshawar has become the front line city in Pakistan's campaign against militants.Bombings and suicide attacks coupled with kidnap for ransom have become commonplace.In June, the city's luxury Pearl Continental hotel was hit by a suicide bombing which left at least 18 people dead including two UN staff.Pakistani officials also said on Tuesday at least 10 Islamist militants were killed in a suspected American drone attack in the north-western region.They said the unmanned drone fired missiles into a suspected training camp for militants in a tribal area near the Afghan border which known to be a stronghold of the Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, who the Pakistanis and Americans believe was killed in a similar attack last week.Taliban commanders have denied that their leader was killed.
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