Peshawar : At least 100 children have been killed and many others wounded in a terror attack by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the country’s Army Public School in Peshawar.
The TTP spokesman Muhammad Khorasani said that the six attackers were asked to target the older children but not the younger ones.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack saying that the terrorists should not be spared and that the kids were the foremost priority at the moment.
Police said that the terrorists stormed inside the school after scaling its walls. The terrorists wearing army fatigues Warsak Road and started indiscriminate firing and set fire to vehicles before storming into school premises, say reports. A police official said that the school has been cordoned off, with a rescue operation in progress.
The Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, a sprawling and volatile city not far from the Afghan border, said the hospital had received the bodies of at least 12 people and was treating 40 wounded students and two male teachers.
“Many are in the operation theatre now in critical condition, undergoing treatment,” said hospital official Ejaz Khan.
The Pakistani Taliban, who are fighting to topple the government and set up a strict Islamic state, have vowed to step up attacks against Pakistani targets in response to a major army operation against the insurgents in the tribal areas.
The army said in a statement that many hostages had been evacuated but did not say how many. “Rescue operation by troops underway. Exchange of fire continues. Bulk of student(s) and staff evacuated. Reports of some children and teachers killed by terrorist,” the army said in a brief English-language statement.
Children and teachers are being evacuated. Helicopters swooped overhead and a fleet of ambulances ferried wounded children to hospital.
Several students escaped through the back gate. One of students who escaped told Dunya TV that fourth period was in progress when they heard firing. “First we didn’t know what has happened. But late an army officer told us to escape through back gate,” he said.
Military officials at the scene said at least six armed men had entered the military-run Army Public School. About 500 students and teachers were believed to be inside.
“We were standing outside the school and firing suddenly started and there was chaos everywhere and the screams of children and teachers,” said Jamshed Khan, a school bus driver.
A teacher said that the attackers targeted the school while exams were taking place. “After half an hour of the attack, the army came and sealed the school,” a teacher told a private television channel outside the besieged school. “We were in the examination hall when the attack took place,” he said. “Now the army men are clearing the classes one by one.”
Taliban spokesman Muhammad Umar Khorasani said that his group was responsible for the attack. “Our suicide bombers have entered the school, they have instructions not to harm the children, but to target the army personnel,” he said.
“It’s a revenge attack for the army offensive in North Waziristan,” he said, referring to an anti-Taliban military offensive that began in June.
Mushtaq Ghani, provincial information minister, said the militants entered through a graveyard which is adjacent to the school, called Army Public School. The school is close to Saint Mary High School located at the start of Warsak Road which was also under threat for last couple of days.
A heavy contingent of police and security forces have blocked the roads leading to the school, taking control of the entire area. In a brief statement, the army said: “Rescue operation by troops underway. Exchange of fire continues. Bulk of student and staff evacuated. Reports of some children and teachers killed by terrorist.” The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman claimed that its six suicide bombers attacked army school.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has condemned the attack. Opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Imran Khan, whose party rules Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, termed the attack as an act of “barbarism”.
Shagufta, who lives near the school, told Geo TV that she heard two explosions, a smaller one followed by a huge bang. A student who identified himself as Shuja told Samaa TV that they were taking examination when firing started. They were told by the teacher to lie down on the floor. He said they remained on floor for about one hour when army soldiers came and told them to go out. ( Agencies)
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