30 killed after gunmen attack Pakistan university

Pakistani security personnel taking position outside the Bacha Khan university following an attack by gunmen in Charsadda.

Pakistani officials say the death toll from an attack by Taliban assailants on a university in Charsadda, northwestern Pakistan, has risen to 30, with many wounded.
A gun battle ensued between militants and security forces at the Bacha Khan University, after four gunmen entered the campus in the morning. Reports say explosions were first heard at around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The military and police forces rushed in by about noon, and exchanged gunfire with the attackers. By early afternoon, four of the attackers had been killed, according to Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa of the Pakistan Armed Forces.
According to AFP, the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. “Our four suicide attackers carried out the attack on Bacha Khan University today,” Umar Mansoor, a commander in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistani (TTP) militant group said over the phone from an undisclosed location.
He said the attack was in retaliation for the military's recent crack down on extremists in tribal areas.

Pakistani rescuers shift an injured victim from the Bacha Khan university.

Pakistani police and onlookers gather in front of a hospital after the attack.

Pakistani rescuers carrying coffins after the attack.

Image: HASHAM AHMED/AFP/Getty Images

Pakistani TV broadcasts showed heavy military presence at the university in the afternoon, as security forces cleared the campus block by block. Reports say the attackers managed to hold out for several hours in the campus buildings before they were killed.

Pakistan's army chief Raheef Sharif (R) arrives at Bacha Khan university following an attack by militants in Charsadda.

Pakistan Army's QRF and KPK Elite force arrive on the spot to carryout an operation at #BachaKhanUniversity #Charsadda
Posted by Bacha Khan University Charsadda (OFFICIAL) on Tuesday, January 19, 2016

News outlets are reporting rising casualty numbers as the events unfold. So far, one professor killed in the attack has been identified, said Al Jazeera.
Rescue services say they are tending to about 50 people who have been injured, with the critically injured being sent to hospitals in Peshawar city, located about 35 km (21 miles) away.

On Tuesday, a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle blew himself up near a police checkpoint on the outskirts of Peshawar. At least 10 people died and 20 were wounded in the blast, said police.These recent attacks are the boldest since the Taliban stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing over 150 people, mostly children.