Pakistan attacks: at least 30 dead in terror raid at Bacha Khan University

Jon Boone, Pakistan correspondent, and Jason Burke in Delhi
Wednesday 20 January 2016 11.38 GMT

A group of militants has stormed a university in north-west Pakistan, killing at least 30 people and leaving dozens injured.

The gunmen entered Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, at about 9.30am (4.30am GMT), apparently using the cover of thick morning fog, and opened fire on students and teachers in classrooms and accommodation blocks.

A gun battle ensued between the attackers and Pakistan security forces, with television footage showing soldiers entering the campus as ambulances lined up outside the main gate and anxious parents consoled each other. After six hours the army said four attackers had been killed and that a clearance operation had ended.

At midday local time a provincial minister said 30 people had died, though unverified reports from witnesses suggested that number could rise. Naseer, a 23-year-old student, said he counted more than 50 bodies and saw gunmen shooting male and female students “without discrimination”. “They were directly shooting at the heads of the students,” he said.

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