The students who lost their lives in Peshawar directorate attack

A little after 8:00 AM on Friday, terrorists stormed a student hostel at the Directorate of Agriculture Extension on University Road in Peshawar. The attack was the deadliest on an educational institution in the city since the 2014 massacre at the Army Public School.

Nine people among them eight students were martyred in the attack which was described by students as a horrifying ordeal. Security forces were quick to respond and killed all terrorists involved in an operation.

Lives lost 

Those who lost their lives in the attack belonged to different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

Bilal Ahmed, son of Hussain Ahmed, hailed from the Lelonai village in Shangla.

Amin Jan, son of Saifur Rehman, belonged to Domail in Bannu.

Sarzameen, son of Bakht Zamin, belonged to Kalpani village in Buner.

Muhammad Wasim, son of Qudrat Hussain, had come to Peshawar from Orakzai Agency.

Abdus Sadiq, son of Musa Khan Dasu, belonged to Kohistan.

Qasim Ali Shah, son of Abdullah Shah, hailed from DI Khan.

Bilal, son of Khairul Bashar, hailed from Lower Dir.

Bilal, son of Mohammad Arif, hailed from Mansehra.

'Fortunately, it was a weekend'

Speaking to Geo News on Friday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IG Salahuddin Khan Mehsud said fortunately not many students were present due to the long weekend, adding that police APCs evacuated around a dozen students from the hostel.

'We were sleeping when it started'

An eyewitness told Geo News he and his colleagues were sleeping when the firing started, around 8:15 AM.

The eyewitness, a student, said he and his colleagues ran as fast as they could but two of their colleagues were injured in the firing.

"We took them out with us and admitted them to the hospital," said Ariful Haq, adding that around 120 students live in the hostel but most had gone home due to the long weekend. 

He added that the students who board at the premises are undertaking their diplomas in Agriculture Sciences and Veterinary Sciences.

Moreover, the premises houses offices of the Agriculture Directorate Extension, Agriculture Livestock Department, Peshawar Housing Authority and the office of the director general of agriculture.