UPDATED Jan. 20, 2015, 5:20 a.m. ET
Pakistani officials say the death toll from an attack by Taliban assailants on a university in Charsadda, northwestern Pakistan, has risen to at least 20, with many wounded.
A gun battle ensued between militants and security forces at the Bacha Khan University, after four gunmen entered the campus in the morning. Reports say explosions were first heard at around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The military and police forces rushed in by about noon, and exchanged gunfire with the attackers. By early afternoon, four of the attackers had been killed, according to Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa of the Pakistan Armed Forces.
Update:Snipers killed 2 more terrorists on roof top,total Terrorist killed so far 4.All buildings&roof top taken over by Army.op continues-3— AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) January 20, 2016
According to AFP, the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Our four suicide attackers carried out the attack on Bacha Khan University today,” Umar Mansoor, a commander in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistani (TTP) militant group said over the phone from an undisclosed location.
He said the attack was in retaliation for the military's recent crack down on extremists in tribal areas.
Pakistani TV broadcasts showed heavy military presence at the university in the afternoon, as security forces cleared the campus block by block. Reports say the attackers managed to hold out for several hours in the campus buildings before they were killed.
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News outlets are reporting rising casualty numbers as the events unfold. So far, one professor killed in the attack has been identified, said Al Jazeera.
What a waste of a life --> Chemistry Professor Syed Hamid Husain (PhD in Organic Chem) killed in Charsadda attack pic.twitter.com/zEVpIkmYD1— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) January 20, 2016
Rescue services say they are tending to about 50 people who have been injured, with the critically injured being sent to hospitals in Peshawar city, located about 35 km (21 miles) away.
On Tuesday, a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle blew himself up near a police checkpoint on the outskirts of Peshawar. At least 10 people died and 20 were wounded in the blast, said police.
These recent attacks are the boldest since the Taliban stormed a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing over 150 people, mostly children.
@RadioPakistan shame on Nawaz sharif— M.Haddad khan (@hadadkhan) January 20, 2016
This story is ongoing. The Associated Press contributed to this report.