News

Gunmen Kill At Least 8 At Pakistani University

by Melissah Yang

On Wednesday morning, several gunmen attacked Bacha Khan University in northwestern Pakistan, opening fire and setting off explosives that killed students. The attack in the town of Charsadda began at around 9:30 a.m. local time when gunmen climbed over walls to enter the campus, according to BBC News. The stand-off lasted for nearly three hours, after which security forces sought to secure the small campus.

Shortly after 1 p.m., the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Agence France-Presse. The report was also supported by local Pakistani media. According to military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa, four militants were killed in a firefight with security forces.

AFP also reported that at least 21 people were killed in the deadly attack and an additional 30 were injured.

Last year, the Pakistani Taliban killed more than 130 students in a massacre at the Army Public School in Peshawar, just a 30-minute drive from Charsadda. According to BBC News, some Peshawar schools were closed just days ago after news spread that an attack was likely.

Bacha Khan was founded in 2012 with a focus on scientific research, according to its website.

The U.S. embassy in Islamabad condemned the attacks, tweeting, "U.S. strongly condemns terrorist attack in #Charsadda. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. #AmbHale."