At least 21 dead, including many students, as gunmen storm university

At least 21 people have been killed in an attack by gunmen at a university in Pakistan. Four of the attackers are known to have been killed at the campus building in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in the country’s north-west. Explosions were heard inside the building and a major police operation was put in place to tackle those responsible. Deputy Commissioner Tahir Zafar says the attack began shortly after the university opened in Charsadda town, some 35 kilometers (21 miles) outside the city of Peshawar.

The university teaches over 3,000 students and was hosting an extra 600 visitors on Wednesday for a poetry recital.

Vice chancellor Fazal Rahim

It is not known if the 21 included the four dead attackers. Regional police chief Saeed Wazir said the operation had ended and security forces were clearing the area, with most of the student victims shot dead at a hostel for boys on the campus site.

Asia-Pacific Pakistan university