(London Post) More than 20 people, including four militants, have been killed in a gun battle at Baca Khan University in northwestern Pakistan. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Fazal Raheem Marwat, vice chancellor at the university located in Charsadda, said on Wednesday that gunmen had entered the campus from the south side. According to police, two explosions were also heard. At least 1,000 students were on campus at the time of the attack.
A medic at the hospital in Charsadda, Zubair Ali, said “male and female students, security guards and teachers” were among those killed.
Pakistan army spokesman General Asim Bajwa told Reuters that four gunmen were killed in the clashes between security forces and militants.
“The operation is over and the university has been cleared,” Bajwa said.
Reports of Taliban attack
Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif condemned the siege, saying the attackers had no faith or religion.
“We are determined and resolved in our commitment to wipe out the menace of terrorism from our homeland,” Sharif said in a statement.
Wednesday’s siege came just a day after a suicide bomber killed 10 people at a market on the outskirts of Peshawar.
ksb/sms (AP, Reuters, AFP)