More martyrs for us while we NAP

At least 30 people, including university students and a senior professor, were killed and more than 60 others injured when unidentified gunmen entered Bacha Khan University in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Charsadda district on Wednesday morning and opened fire on students and faculty members as they gathered at the school for a poetry recital to commemorate the death anniversary of the activist and leader after whom the school is named.

The mastermind of the APS Peshawar attack, Umar Mansoor of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Geedar Group claimed the attack through a post on his Facebook page, adding that four attackers were sent to the university.

However, a spokesperson from the TTP-Fazlullah Group, Mohammad Khorasani issued a conflicting statement shortly after Mansoor’s claim, in which he condemned the attack, terming it “against Shariah”.

“We consider these youth studying in non-military educational institutes as our future, they are Muslims and their protection is our responsibility,” he stated.

“Those people who used the name of the Taliban in the attack will be tried in Sharia courts,” the email added.

As the military announced the end of the clearance operation, mass casualties were feared in the attack reminiscent of the deadly December 2014 terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, which left over 140 dead — most of them students.

Security sources added that the four attackers were wearing suicide vests but were killed by security forces’ before they could detonate their explosives.

Addressing a press conference later in the evening, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt General Asim Bajwa said major breakthroughs had been made in identifying the terrorists who were involved in the attack on the Bacha Khan University.

The ISPR chief said the terrorists’ phone calls had been traced and analysed, and that two cell phones had also been recovered from them.

“When army reached the premises, all four attackers were alive. They were contained in the hostel and were eventually eliminated on the roof and the stairs,” informed the ISPR chief. They had a lot of ammo, including grenades, he added.

“Their call logs were analysed and an intelligence picture was established, with most data having been collected,” said Lt Gen Bajwa.

Bajwa also said forensics and fingerprints of the attackers had been shared with the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), adding that “an intelligence picture is also being created with input from NADRA.”

“We have gathered almost all relevant data on who they (attackers) were, from where they came and who supported them.”

But the ISPR chief said the information is “sensitive” and is being “processed and updated,” which will be shared with the public later.

“We cleared the sanctuaries of terrorists after which certain people crossed the border towards Afghanistan and are operating from there. That aspect is also under investigation,” he maintained.

Bajwa said terrorists were getting instructions from outside and were receiving calls.

“They (terrorists) are targeting symbols of progress. We are fighting a war against faceless bastards (terrorists).”

The ISPR chief said, “As long as the facilitators and financiers of terrorists are present, they can carry out an attack at any place and time. What matters is how we respond to this as a nation.”

Intelligence-based operations (IBOs) are being carried out to hunt down the facilitators of the terrorists involved in Charsadda attack, he said.

HORROR ATTACK:

The terrorists gave stiff resistance to security forces as they engaged in an operation to clear the school over several hours, as families of students lined up outside the university. Most of the boys belonged to Dir, Hangu and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Journalists and all other non-essential personnel were asked to stay back in order to not interfere with the ongoing security operation. Up to 20 ambulances entered the university to rescue the injured.

Provincial Minister Shah Farman told journalists 54 security guards were stationed at the university. He said around 200 people were present in the examination hall, all of whom were rescued and “timely action by police and army prevented large scale damage”.

Most of the student victims were shot dead at a hostel for boys on the campus.

DHQ Charsadda’s officials also stated that casualties had cuts on the bodies, probably inflicted from a sharp-edged weapon.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial spokesperson Shaukaut Yousafzai said between 50 to 60 people were wounded. He added there was no prior threat about an attack.

KP CM’s Special Assistant Mushtaq Ghani said that the critically injured victims were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar and that security in the province has been on high alert for 10 days.

EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS:

A police officer said that assistant professor Dr Syed Hamid Hussain, who taught organic chemistry at the school, had been killed in the attack.

Syed Hamid Hussain recently completed his PhD from Bristol University in UK in Chemistry and was now serving at Bacha Khan University. He was from Swabi city of KP. He has left behind a wife and a three-year-old son, Hashir Hussain.

Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif reached Charsadda to boost the morale of the security personnel who took part in the operation. He was accompanied by Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Hidayatur Rehman.

Television footage showed soldiers entering the campus as ambulances lined up outside the main gate and anxious parents consoled each other.

A student said the attackers, who had penetrated the building, appeared to be young.

“The attackers were like us ─ they were very young. They carried AK-47 guns. They wore jackets like the forces do… We were in the hostel sleeping, as we did not have classes.

“There are no classes at the university currently, there may be around 200-300 students in the hostel.”

“There was firing between attackers and security forces. After everything was over, the army men knocked on our room and told us we were safe.”

Geology student Zahoor Ahmed said he had tried to leave his hostel after hearing shots fired.

“(We) were stopped by our chemistry lecturer who advised us to go inside. He was holding a pistol in his hand,” he said.

“Then I saw a bullet hit him. I saw two militants were firing. I ran inside and then managed to flee by jumping over the back wall, “

According to one eyewitness who escaped the university, the attackers had taken position at the entry points of the school.

“I saw three attackers engaged in an exchange of fire with security guards of the university. One was positioned at the roof, another near the corner and the third near the wall.”

“We rescued the university’s guards and then I saw the attackers engage the arriving police party.”

Shabir Khan, a lecturer in the English department, said he was about to leave the hostel for the department when firing began.

“Most of the students and staff were in classes when the firing began,” Khan said. “I had no idea about what’s going on but I heard one security official talking on the phone to someone saying many people had been killed and injured.”

A student said two security personnel were killed. “A hostel friend of mine was killed; two security personnel were killed as well.”

A computer science student who was rescued from the university said the poetry recital event to commemorate Bacha Khan’s death anniversary was to begin at 10:30am.

“The university [security] on common days is enough to perplex students. They have five security checks. But the security is only for students and not VIPs,” he said.

“In the beginning, there was just firing. There were attackers in the stairwell. We had no arms to counter them.”

“In the Pushto Department and Computer Science blocks I saw at least three attackers.”

Rescue officials say some 50 students were rescued from the premises.

Out of these 50, five students were injured and have been shifted to District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ), Charsadda for treatment. An emergency has been imposed in all hospitals of the area.

An eyewitness rescued from the university said the university was not adequately secured, especially at the backside of the building, which had low boundary walls.

Another eyewitness said that attackers threw a grenade, injuring a guard and then entered the school.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Member of Provincial Assembly Arshad Ali said that the attackers entered the university after scaling its walls from the rear end.

MOURNING:

Expressing deep grief and anguish over this inhuman and dastardly act of terrorism, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced mourning for three days all over the province, adding that the national flag would be hoisted on half-mast on all government buildings.

In a handout, the spokesperson said Quran Khwani will be held for eternal peace of the martyrs and early recovery of the injured. Prayers would also be held for restoration of peace all over the country.

While commending the role of university guards and local police that helped in containing the damage to the possible minimum level, the spokesperson added that the local population demonstrated bravery and come out with their personal weapons and brought the terrorists out.

He said the police and Pakistan Army contingents reached the spot within 55 minutes of the attack despite dense fog and minimum visibility.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan also reached the spot and expressed solidarity with the students and faculty members of the university administration and the local people.

The spokesman revealed that KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, who is on visit to UK, has postponed his engagement abroad and was returning home immediately.