Members of the Taliban, a militant extremist group in Pakistan, opened fire at a school in Peshawar on Tuesday, leading to the deaths of at least 132 students and nine staff members. 121 students and three staff members are injured and receiving treatment. Nine militants, who were armed with suicide vests, were also killed in the incident.
The incident occurred at the Army Public School, a school run by the Pakistani army. Many of the students are known to be children of the Pakistani army personnel, according to Reuters.
Mohammed Khurasani, a Taliban spokesman who claimed responsibility for the attack, said that the attack was carried out as a revenge to the Pakistani government.
“We selected the army’s school for the attack because the government is targeting our families and females,” Khurasani told reporters via phone. “We want them to feel the pain.”
The traumatic massacre was condemned by numerous public figures across the world, including Malala Yousafzai, who also was shot by the Taliban in 2011 for her activism for education.
“I, along with millions of others around the world, mourn these children, my brothers and sisters, but we will never be defeated,” she said.
The U.S., which has been cooperating with the Pakistani government in the fight against extremist groups, also criticized the attack.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims, their families, and loved ones,” said President Obama. “By targeting students and teachers in this heinous attack, terrorists have once again shown their depravity. We stand with the people of Pakistan, and reiterate the commitment of the United States to support the government of Pakistan in its efforts to combat terrorism and extremism to promote peace and stability in the region.”
Pakistan has declared three days of national mourning for the lives that have been lost due to the incident, and the government seems to have a new resolve in countering the militant group.
“We will take revenge for each and every drop of our children’s blood that was spilt today,” said Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan.
“These are my children and it is my loss. We will continue our struggle to completely eradicate militancy,” he added.
Though the Taliban has been opposing the Pakistani government continually in hopes to establish an Islamic state, reports say that it is relatively rare for the militant group to have targeted a specifically civilian group. The last major attack on civilians took place on September 2013, when the Taliban opened fire and killed 81 people in Protestant All Saints Church of Pakistan.
