- PM Sharif declares 1-daynational mourning over university attack
- KPK Govt announces 3-day mourning
- Bilawal announces 3-day mourning over the incident
CHARSADDA, January 20: At least 21 people, mostly students, were martyred and over 60 were wounded in coward attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda district of KP.
According to details, a group of militants stormed Bacha Khan University in Charsadda on Wednesday morning. Firing and blasts were heard from inside the campus as the army carried out a clearance operation.
The militants, using the cover of thick, wintry fog, scaled the walls of the Bacha Khan University before entering buildings and opening fire on students and teachers in classrooms and hostels, police said.
The gunmen attacked as the university prepared to host a poetry recital on Wednesday afternoon to commemorate the death anniversary of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a popular ethnic Pashtun independence activist after whom the university is named. The attack comes a little over a year after Taliban gunmen stormed Army Public School in December 2014 and slaughtered more than 150 people, most of them children, in an hours-long siege.
The mastermind of the APS Peshawar attack, Omar Mansoor, of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Geedar group has claimed the attack through a post on his Facebook page, adding that four attacker were sent to the university.
However, a spokesperson from the TTP Mohammad Khorasani issued a conflicting statement shortly after Mansoor’s claim, in which Khorasani condemned the attack, terming it “against Shariah”.
Khorasani also warned that those “using the naming of TTP will be brought to justice”.
As the military announced the end of the clearance operation hours after deadly attack, mass casualties were feared in the attack.
Sources added that the four attackers were wearing suicide vests but were killed by security forces’ before they could detonate their explosives.
Military spokesperson Lt.Gen Asim Bajwa said four attackers have been killed. Security personnel, including SSG personnel went inside the school to control the situation.
Security forces cordoned off a one-storey house, situated around a kilometre from the university’s boundary wall, where three terrorists were believed to be holed up. It was later declared clear by military personnel.
The terrorists gave stiff resistance to security forces as they engaged in an operation to clear the school over several hours. Intelligence sources said eight to 10 terrorists were inside the school, adding that they were between 18 and 25 years old, were wearing civilian clothes and had their faces covered.
The families of students lined up outside the school. Most of the boys belonged to Dir, Hangu and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Journalists and all other non-essential personnel were asked to stay back in order to not interfere with the ongoing security operation. Up to 20 ambulances entered the university to rescue the injured.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced observing a day of national mourning across Pakistan on Thursday over deadly terrorist attack on a university in Charsadda.
Prime Minister Sharif, who is in Davos to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF), also rang up army chief General Raheel Sharif and appreciated the swift military action after the terrorist assault.
The prime minister and army chief agreed to take the war against terrorism to its logical end. Earlier, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday held a telephonic contact with Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to discuss security situation in the aftermath of gunmen attack at Bacha Khan University that left at least 25 people dead.
During their conversation, the two agreed to continue offensive against the terrorists with full force and reiterated the country’s resolve to root out terrorism. The prime minister, who is currently in Davos to attend World Economic Forum, appreciated Pakistan Army’s prompt action following the attack that prevented a huge loss of lives.
Nawaz Sharif said that the entire nation supported decisive war against terrorism. Meanwhile, Pakistan army’s chief spokesman Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa said that a special security conference led by the army chief was in progress at Corps Headquarters in Peshawar. Earlier, four gunmen stormed Bacha Khan University near Charsadda, killing at least 22 people, including students and a teacher.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced three day mourning over the attack on Bacha Khan University Charsadda.
The flag will hoist half mast during the mourning days, a statement from the provincial government said. The mourning will be observed to show solidarity with martyred people.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party has announced 3-day mourning over Bacha Khan University, Charsadda carnage on behalf of the Party all over Pakistan. In a press statement issued here, the PPP Chairman said the PPP workers will mourn the deaths of innocent faculty member and students in terrorist attack on the University in all provinces, Azad Jammu & Kashmir and FATA. Quran Khwani will be offered at Party’s Central, Provincial and District Secretariats tomorrow. -Online/DNA
