In the late morning on 16 December 2014, a group of Taliban gunmen dressed in military uniforms entered the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan. After killing three security guards, they began to fire indiscriminately and throw hand bombs. Ultimately, 144 people died, the vast majority school children. The horror of that day is almost unimaginable. Most victims were shot at close range. The youngest, Khaula Bibi, was six. It was her first day. In the auditorium, three year groups were watching a first aid video. The terrorists shot blindly into the crowds. Many died; survivors remain severely traumatised. Around 10 staff members – including the principal – were killed too. Several teachers died trying to protect their students.
Peshawar, situated in Pakistan’s restive north-western province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), has long been wracked by terrorist violence. It is located close to the Afghanistan border and the tribal border region where the Pakistani military is fighting terrorist groups. The Taliban said the school massacre was retaliation for this army offensive. In the year that has passed since this brutal attack, the country has changed. On government orders, schools across the country beefed up security, building higher walls topped with barbed wire and employing more guards. Teachers in KPK were given firearms training by police.
Content from our partners
