A girl was killed and seven others, including a teacher and female students, sustained injuries after a police officer posted outside a school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district opened fire on them, the police said.

According to District Police Officer (DPO) Shafiullah Gandapur, the constable, identified as Alam Khan, was arrested immediately after the attack and a first information report (FIR) was registered against him.

“A special investigation team has been formed to make further investigation into the matter. I assure everyone that strict legal punishment will be given to the culprit,” he told media persons.

Gandapur said the accused hailed from the Salampur area and was suspended from the police force twice. Khan was reinstated in the police department last year and was deployed outside the school for security three months back.

He added that the wounded persons were moved to the Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital and an emergency has been imposed at the facility.

Meanwhile, one of the injured girls, who is currently being treated at the hospital, told Dawn.com that the suspect opened indiscriminate fire on their van as soon as it exited the school gate.

“All the schoolchildren got scared and started shouting after which people started gathering,” she added.

After the gruesome incident was reported, KP Inspector General Akhtar Hayat Gandapur took notice of the shooting and visited the injured children along with Malakand Regional Police Officer Nasir Mehmood Dasti, DPO Gandapur, and Swat Deputy Commissioner Ifranullah Wazir.

A statement issued by the Swat police said that RPO Malakand directed hospital authorities to ensure the best treatment for the injured girls.