Irish convent school bombed in Pakistan

Five local staff working at an Irish convent school in Pakistan have been kidnapped by militants, and the school destroyed.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin last night condemned the attack on the Presentation Sisters' school at Sanglot, near Islamabad.

The school was bombed in a morning attack on Monday and then looted, before it was later bombed again and set on fire. Four Irish sisters work in Pakistan, but all of them have been withdrawn from rural outposts because of the worsening security situation.

Taliban-like militants have become increasingly powerful in the region over the last three years, backed up by the presence of foreign fighters.

Sister Julia Watson has briefed the Irish Embassy in Tehran, which represents Irish interests in Pakistan, on the attack.

Mr Martin said he was deeply saddened to learn of the destruction of the school, which has educated 1,000 poor children every year. "The destruction represents an enormous setback for the girls and families. Such incidents remind us of the often very difficult and dangerous conditions in which the Presentation Sisters - and many Irish missionaries around the world - serve the people," Mr Martin said.