Shiraz Maher, analystpublished at 12:04 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
tweets:, external Too many Pakistani politicians are soft footed when talking about the Taliban. They equivocate rather than challenge. #PeshawarAttack
Summary
Officials say more than 140 people, mostly children, have been killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in north-west Pakistan
Pakistan's security forces say their operation has now ended, with all seven attackers killed
Some pupils, who escaped, earlier said the gunmen went from classroom to classroom, shooting children indiscriminately
The Taliban say the assault is in response to army operations in North Waziristan and the Khyber area. All times GMT
Shiraz Maher, analystpublished at 12:04 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
'Pretended to be dead'published at 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
Shireen Khalid Wadud told the BBC that her friend's 13-year-old daughter was at the school in Peshawar when the gunmen burst in. "She pretended to be dead," she said. "When the gunmen left the class, she ran and managed to escape.
"She was the only person who could escape from the class... She is wounded in her leg, but fortunately it is not serious. She is in hospital. She is very panicked and she is frightened."
Postpublished at 11:57 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
The US Ambassador to Pakistan, Richard Olson, has released a statement, external expressing "deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims of Tuesday's heinous attack".
He said: "The United States strongly condemns senseless and inhumane attacks on innocent students and educators, and stands in solidarity with the people of Pakistan, and all who fight the menace of terrorism."
Postpublished at 11:45 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
A doctor at the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar has told BBC World News that some students were shot in the head and chest, while others died in a suicide bomb attack in their school playground.
Postpublished at 11:42 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
Umar Butt in Lahore, Pakistan emails: I did my matriculation from the same school in 1995. I feel as if my memories have been shot by these aliens. This is by far the saddest day of my life and I feel so very much for the kids who lost their lives and for the families who lost their most precious gifts.
Kailash Satyarthi, 2014 Novel Peace Prize winnerpublished at 11:40 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
tweets: , externalOver 100 children massacred in school in #PeshawarAttack. My heart bleeds for bereaved families. One of the darkest days of humanity.
In Pictures (warning: graphic)published at 11:39 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
BBC News has put together a gallery of the most powerful images from the attack. Warning: you may find some of these images disturbing.
Image source, APAnalysispublished at 11:34 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
Owen Bennett-Jones
BBC NewsThis attack is a retaliation against the Pakistan army. For the last few months the Pakistan army has intensified its offensive in tribal areas against the Pakistan Taliban and now the Pakistan Taliban has given its response. For years politicians have hesitated to back the army campaign against the Pakistan Taliban, but this attack might change that. Within hours of the attack Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave an uncharacteristically clear statement against the attackers. And the opposition leader Imran Khan called off a lockdown he had planned for the 18 December. It may be that by killing too many children, the Pakistan Taliban has managed to unite the politicians and the army.
Postpublished at 11:33 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
PM Nawaz Sharif has told reporters in Peshawar that attacks of this kind are to be expected in the wake of Pakistan's military operations against the Taliban, according to Dawn., external
"I feel that until and unless this country is cleansed from terrorism, this war and effort will not stop, no one should be doubtful of this," he said.
"Such attacks are expected in the wake of a war and the country should not lose its strength."
Postpublished at 11:28 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
The BBC's World Service Outside Source programme is rolling live on events in Peshawar.
Postpublished at 11:21 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
Image source, APMost of those hurt in the attack are believed to be aged under 15.
Postpublished at 11:20 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
Shahzeb Jillani
BBC Newssays a fifth attacker at the school has been killed.
'Children of army officers'published at 11:15 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
Earlier, Taliban expert Ahmed Rashid told the BBC World Service, external that militants had attacked "something which is very sensitive to the army".
"Many of the soldiers and officers fighting the Taliban have their children in this school so this is an attempt to demoralise the military," he said.
'Entering every classroom'published at 11:14 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
Eyewitness accounts are continuing to come in. Mudassir Awan, a worker at the school, earlier told Reuters he had seen six people scaling the walls of the school. "We thought it must be the children playing some game," he said. "But then we saw a lot of firearms with them.
"As soon as the firing started, we ran to our classrooms...They were entering every class and they were killing the children."
Postpublished at 11:09 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
Shahzeb Jillani
BBC Newssays Pakistani army head Raheel Sharif is on his way to Peshawar and people will be waiting to hear how the military will respond to this attack in coming days.
India's Modi condemns attackpublished at 11:07 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condemned the school attack in Peshawar.
He tweets, external: "It is a senseless act of unspeakable brutality that has claimed lives of the most innocent of human beings - young children in their school."
And, external: My heart goes out to everyone who lost their loved ones today. We share their pain & offer our deepest condolences.
Rafia Zakaria, Dawn columnistpublished at 11:06 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
tweets:, external Eyewitness schoolboy on assailants "they were dressed in white, were young and began to fire indiscriminately into the yard" #PeshawarSiege
Taliban expert speaks to BBC World Servicepublished at 11:00 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
BBC World Update has been speaking to Taliban expert Ahmed Rashid, external, who has been outlining reasons why the Taliban would attack the school at this time. He suggests:
To demoralise the military
Malala Yousafzai just won the Nobel Peace Prize
Peshawar has become an ungovernable city; terrorism is now rampant
Asim Bajwa, military communicationspublished at 10:59 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
tweets:, external #Psr, external Update: Terrorists pushed & confined to last of 4 blocks of school. 4 terrorists killed so far. Search for remaining on, Clearance underway
Postpublished at 10:51 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2014
Map showing the location of the Peshawar Army Public School that is under attack from Taliban gunmen.