Taliban kills 126 children in Pakistani school
In a style similar to the operations of Boko Haram in Nigeria, Taliban gunmen stormed a military-run school in the city of Peshawar, northwest Pakistan, killing about 126 people, mainly children.
The armed men entered the school on Tuesday morning shooting at random, students in grades 1-10.
The attack is one of the country’s deadliest in recent weeks.
Pervez Khattak, the chief minister of the province, said as many as 84 children were killed, but CNN reported at least 126 deaths.
Khattak said all those that died in the attack were all children but hospital officials said a teacher and one security official also lost their lives during the incident.
Jamil Shah, a spokesman for Lady Reading Hospital in the city, said the security official was a member of the Pakistani paramilitary forces.
Abdullah Jamal, a student who was shot in the leg, said he was with a group of 8th, 9th and 10th graders who were getting first-aid instructions and training with Pakistani army medics when the attack began.
“Then I saw children falling down who were crying and screaming, I also fell down, I learned later that I have got a bullet,” he said from his hospital bed.
Mohammed Khurasani, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack in a phone call to media, saying that six suicide bombers carried out the attack in revenge for the killings of Taliban members by the country’s military authorities.
Nawaz Sharif, Pakistani prime minister, condemned the attack, saying those behind it would be brought to book.
On 9 October 2012, a Taliban gunman shot Malala Yousafzai, a child rights activist and winner of Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, as she rode home from school.
In Nigeria, school children have also been attacked by Boko Haram, who are also nicknamed “Nigerian Taliban” because of their opposition to western education.
In February 2013, they attacked a government school in Buni Yadi, Yobe state, killing 59 boys in their sleep.
They also abducted over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno state, claiming they should get married rather than go to school.
In November this year, they bombed an early morning assembly in Yobe state, killing 49 children.
Talibans and Boko Haram blood thirsty hounds and birds of same feather. Are the opposition in Pakistan blaming Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister as being behnd the attack to give his governent a firmer hold on the country and perpetuate himself in power? Or do they regard attacks like this as sign that the prime ininister is weak and clueless and incapable of ruling Pakistan seing that he couldn’t prevent the murder of so many innocent children? Just asking please.