Terrorists had no intention of taking hostages: ISPR

Published December 16, 2014
DG ISPR Asim Bajwa addressing a media briefing in Peshawar. -DawnNews Screengrab
DG ISPR Asim Bajwa addressing a media briefing in Peshawar. -DawnNews Screengrab

PESHAWAR: The terrorists who attacked a school in Peshawar, had ‘no intention’ of taking hostages, rather they wished to kill as many people as possible.

This was said by DG ISPR Asim Bajwa during a media briefing in Peshawar on Tuesday night.

Bajwa described an assault that seemed designed purely to terrorize the children rather than take anyone hostage to further the militant group's aims.

“Their sole purpose, it seems, was to kill those innocent kids. That's what they did,” he said.

He briefed the media with details about the attack carried out by terrorists on a Peshawar school and said that 141 people were killed in the atrocity.

The dead included 132 children and 9 staff members of the school.

The DG ISPR said that 1099 children were registered at the school and that 960 people were rescued from the location.

“They started shooting the moment they entered the school premises,” he said.

“No one could have imagined that terrorists would have targeted innocent children like this,” Bajwa said.

He said that all seven dead terrorists had suicide jackets on them.

“Forget about being Muslims, these terrorists are not even human,” he said.

The DG ISPR said that the operation against the militants would continue and would not stop until every one of them were finished.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

SOME clearly thought that senior judges would prove just as easily ‘manageable’ as our seasoned politicians...
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.