Death of 'at least 20 people' in attack on university in Pakistan

A group attack by unidentified assailants on the state university 'Bacha Khan' in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, located in northwest Pakistan, has left at least 20 dead and 50 injured. The attackers have been reported in some accounts as members of the Pakistani Taliban, but Pakistani officials have not yet confirmed these reports. Zabih Shafaq, a reporter for Radio Free Europe’s Pakistan service in Peshawar, states that only one Pakistani news agency has reported that the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, but there remains uncertainty as Pakistani officials have not commented on the matter. According to him, four of the attackers were killed in clashes with Pakistani security forces, and since the fighting has now ended, it seems that the number of attackers was not greater than this. This journalist also cites Pakistani officials stating that all students have exited the university and that the university is now under the control of security forces. Pakistani media, citing local sources, have reported the death toll to be between 20 and 60. The Radio Free Europe reporter in Peshawar also speculates that the number of casualties from this attack may exceed 20. It is suggested that up to three thousand students were inside the university at the time of the attack. Pakistani media indicate that most students and university staff were in classrooms when the attack began. Bilal Faizi, an emergency official at the scene, told AFP that all the deceased died from gunshot wounds. This attack occurs one year after the assault on the Army Public School in Peshawar, which resulted in over 140 deaths, most of whom were school students.