“The death toll in the terrorist attack has risen to 20,” said regional police chief Saeed Wazir without specifying if that included the four militants the army stated it had killed.
According to sources, the Pakistani security forces had ended the operation against the gunmen. However no official announcement has been made so far in this regard.
“The operation had ended and security forces were clearing the area, with most of the student victims shot dead at a hostel for boys on the campus.” regional police chief Saeed Wazir told AFP hours after the alarm was first raised.
Meanwhile, military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa confirmed on Twitter that four attackers had been killed.
According local TV channels, a group of gunmen entered the Bacha Khan University and opened fire on students and teachers in classrooms and hostels.
Shabir Khan, a lecturer at the university, said most of the students and staff were in the classes when the firing began.
The attack comes slightly a year after the horrific one on the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014 where armed militants killed over 150 people including over 132 students. Quite clearly the attack shows that there was a security lapse, despite the fact that Bacha Khan University is a privately-owned institution.