[Update] Taliban Has Massacred 126 People Of Which 123 Are Children In Peshawar, Pakistan – But The Siege Is Over
As news continues to trickle-in, it has been confirmed that the Taliban has killed as many as 126 people during their attack on a military-run school in Peshawar, Pakistan. What’s truly horrific is that news agencies on the scene have counted as many as 123 children among those, the Taliban has mercilessly butchered.
So far it has been confirmed that at least 126 people have been shot dead and more than 145 have been seriously injured since TTP took hold of an army run school in Peshawar, Pakistan. Most of the dead bodies are of school children with age under 16. The rescue operation being conducted by the Pakistan’s army appears to have come to a close, but the casualties have been quite severe.
TTP or Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan is a militant wing of the Taliban that operates across the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. It has stronghold over the regions that surround the border and have been confirmed to posses advanced weaponry including RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenades), AK-47s, semi-automatic assault rifles, besides having expert knowledge of creating IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).
The siege was reportedly undertaken by six TTP militants who stormed the school wearing black uniforms and masks. Firing indiscriminately, the militants took over the school in a matter of minutes. The militants knew when and where to attack since the school was conducting first aid training on a large scale and the auditorium was packed with over 1,500 students.
Though Taliban spokesman Muhammad Umar Khorasani has claimed responsibility for the gruesome attack on a school, the militant group hasn’t issued a reason for the same. However, the Taliban has always been quite keen to set up a strict Islamic state and topple the current democratic government. Moreover, the Taliban has been rattled by multiple major operations the Pakistan’s army has undertaken against them in recent times.
Though the Taliban spokesperson categorically mentioned that the armed militiamen shouldn’t harm any children, the actual situation couldn’t be farther away from the proclaimed intentions. Of the total death toll of 126, the Taliban has killed 123 innocent children.
Police sweep grounds of #ArmyPublicSchool for any possibility of explosives. Clearing operation in aftermath of #PeshawarAttack in progress.
— Home Department KP (@htakpk) December 16, 2014
The Pakistan’s military claims to have ended the siege and has killed the six terrorists, whose bodies are in the process of being recovered from the school building. However, the army has confirmed that the rescue operation is progressing at a slow pace primarily because the militants seem to have planted explosive devices in the building.
clearance of #armypublicschool starts. Total deaths occurred 131 until now in #PeshawarAttack
— Home Department KP (@htakpk) December 16, 2014
[Update] As per the Tweet from Pakistan Home Secretary, the death toll has climbed to 131, but could rise further as those in the hospital might succumb to their injuries.
[Image Credit |India Today]
