Posted on 12/16/2014 6:23:16 AM PST by Red Badger
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Uniformed militants attacked a school, killing at least 126 people and taking hostages on Tuesday, an official said - an atrocity condemned by the U.S. as "senseless and inhumane."
"The gunmen entered class by class and shot some kids one by one," a student who was in the school at the time told local media.
Provincial official Bahramand Khan said at least 126 people were killed and 122 injured. More than 100 of the dead were school children, he added. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, which appeared to be targeting the the children of senior military officials.
Bombs planted by the attackers slowed rescue efforts, a military official said, adding that operations at the scene were "closing up".
Commandos exchanged fire with gunmen who entered the Army Public School in Peshawar. Five "heavy" explosions were heard from the school at around 5 a.m. ET. The Pakistani military later said six Taliban militants had been killed.
About 500 students and teachers were believed to be inside the site when gunfire erupted, although it was unclear how many remained inside the school.
Peshawar Father: 'They Can't Find my Son, Dead or Alive' NBC News
A military source who spoke on the condition of anonymity told NBC News that the attackers were wearing police uniforms and suicide vests. "They burnt a teacher in front of the students in a classroom," he added. "They literally set the teacher on fire with gasoline and made the kids watch."
Some child hostages were thought to be held at gunpoint by militants in the school's main auditorium. The military-run school has students in grades one through 10.
Wounded student Abdullah Jamal told The Associated Press he was getting first-aid instructions and training with a team of Pakistani army medics when the violence began for real. When the shooting started, Jamal said nobody knew what was going on in the first few seconds. "Then I saw children falling down who were crying and screaming. I also fell down. I learned later that I have got a bullet," he said, speaking from his hospital bed. He had been shot in the leg.
"We were standing outside the school and firing suddenly started and there was chaos everywhere and the screams of children and teachers," said Jamshed Khan, a school bus driver.
Dozens of Children Killed as Taliban Gunmen Storm Peshawar School NBC News
Television images showed anxious parents gathering on the street near the school, as gunfire and explosions were heard nearby.
"My son was in uniform in the morning. He is in a casket now," cried one parent, Tahir Ali, as he came to a hospital to collect the body of his 14-year-old son Abdullah. "My son was my dream. My dream has been killed."
Malala Yousafzai, campaigner for girls and joint winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, said the attack was "atrocious and cowardly," adding that she was "heartbroken by this senseless and cold blooded act of terror." In a statement, she said: "I, along with millions of others around the world, mourn these children, my brothers and sisters - but we will never be defeated."
Kailash Satyarthi, the Indian children's rights advocate who shared the Nobel prize with her, wrote on Twitter: "These are all our children who've been murdered today. My heart bleeds for bereaved families. One of the darkest days of humanity."
The U.S. stands "in solidarity" with the people of Pakistan and "strongly condemns senseless and inhumane attacks on innocent students and educators," Ambassador Richard Olson said in a statement. "Few have suffered more at the hands of terrorists and extremists than the people of Pakistan. That is why it remains essential for the United States and Pakistan to continue to work together to secure peace and stability in the region."
Pakistan's military carried out 10 airstrikes in the Khyber region, between Peshawar and the Afghanistan border, based on "actionable intelligence" according to a spokesman.
The Pakistani Taliban has vowed to attack government targets as it fights off a huge army operation in the country's tribal region.
Taliban spokesman Muhammad Umar Khorasani told Reuters his group was responsible for the attack. "Our suicide bombers have entered the school, they have instructions not to harm the children, but to target the army personnel," he said.
Yesterday a new signup was scolding Freepers for "mocking" Muslims.
Islamic terrorists believe child sacrifice begets humping goats.
The religion of mass murder, child rape and necrophilia strikes again.
It is up to Islam to annihilate its jihadist elements.
When we try to do it, it just drives more Muslims to the jihad.
We should just declare most of North Africa and the Middle East off-limits, just like we treat Iran today, treated Afghanistan prior to the invasion, and Iraq prior to the invasion.
We cannot fix these societies. If they are to be fixed, they must fix themselves. Or the jihadists can win and these societies can become outcast theocracies.
That works so well with North Korea..............
The really crappy part to all this is that we have many, many hundreds of history to go by concerning the barbarity of Islam.
And we refuse to learn.
But as before, so again. Eventually Crusades II will happen as sure as day follows night follows day. It may be Russia or China that begins it because they don’t have western levels of pussification and self delusion. But eventually, after enough innocents die and it hits home, it will happen. As before, so again.
Just don’t let history forget the names of the people who refused to learn.
‘It is up to Islam to annihilate its jihadist elements.”
No it’s up to humanity to eliminate Islam.
“When we try to do it, it just drives more Muslims to the jihad.”
No one said it would be bloodless.
Convicted Terrorist Ayers Appears on Iranian Media to Give a Rebuke of the United States
Dec 15, 2014 — 3:41pm
http://pro.wind-am.tritonflex.com/common/more.php?m=49&action=blog&r=1&post_id=381
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