Nation mourns, world condemns Taliban attack on Pakistan army school

December 18, 2014

In the wake of Tuesday's high-school attack by the (TTK) on an, Prime Minister  announced a three-day period of official mourning. In addition to condemnation from world leaders &mdash; who include Secretary-General, the  , and Deputy director David Griffiths of  &mdash; news agency Reuters are reporting the   have also issued a statement condemning the attack.

The statement carried by , claiming to be from Taliban spokesman, reads: "The intentional killing of innocent people, children and women are against the basics of Islam and this criteria has to be considered by every Islamic party and government." Tuesday's attack on the Army Public School in 's north-western city of claimed the lives of 132 children, and nine staff from the school.

Official reports, following police and military action against the attackers, insist seven people took part in the school attack; although a statement, issued by the TTK, insists there were only six, their targets being older pupils. The attack began in the mid morning local time, with the assailants observed entering the compound wearing. Shortly thereafter, shots were heard with survivors reporting the gunmen were shooting people indiscriminately, going from classroom to classroom, killing teachers and students as they found them.

The massacre sparked a public outcry, both national and international; which, press speculate, led to the TTK stressing the intent to only target older students at the army school.

announced one day of national mourning. Described as impossible to justify and "blood-curdling" by the UN Secretary-General, EU Parliamentary President Schulz labelled the attack "abominable and cowardly [demonstrating] the inhuman attitude of the Taliban, their inhuman ideology, their remorseless fanaticism", and Nobel Prize-winner, condemned the attackers as "enemies of Allah" and stated:  "The militants, be they Taliban or any other militants, who kill children, are the enemies of humanity. This attack is a blot on humanity".

In addition to a three-day period of national mourning, President Sharif reintroduced Pakistan's.