The gunmen entered Bacha Khan University at about 4.30am, apparently using the cover of thick morning fog, and opened fire on students and teachers in classrooms and accommodation blocks. A gun
battle between the attackers and Pakistan security forces ensued, with television footage showing soldiers entering the campus as ambulances lined up outside the main gate and anxious parents consoled each other.
After several hours the army said four attackers had been killed and that a clearance operation had ended. At midday local time a provincial minister put the death toll at 30, though unverified reports from witnesses suggested it could rise.
