Six Tehreek-i-Taliban terrorists on Tuesday have held hostage at least 500 school students and several teachers of an army run public school in Peshawar, Pakistan.
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.
Children and teachers are being evacuated. Helicopters swooped overhead and a fleet of ambulances ferried wounded children to hospital.
Seventeen students and one security personnel were among the 20 people killed today when heavily-armed Taliban militants stormed an army-run school in Pakistan's volatile Peshawar city today and opened indiscriminate fire on them.
"Many are in the operation theatre now in critical condition, undergoing treatment," said Lady Reading hospital official Ejaz Khan.
Later reports mention say 18 persons killed in the attack, 16 of them were students.
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.
"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.
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