Twelve schools, half of them all-girls', have been burnt down by unidentified militants in coordinated attacks in Pakistan's restive Gilgit-Baltistan, triggering protest by local residents who sought safety for educational institutions which are often attacked by terrorists, officials said yesterday.

The schools in Chilas town, about 130-kilometre from Gilgit, were targeted by the militants who set them on fire and damaged school property across Diamer district, police said. Superintendent of Police (Diamer) Roy Ajmal said that schools were targeted by rebels, who fled after the attack. "Police have launched probe and security forces are searching for the culprits in the area," he said.