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Obama condemns terror attack on Pakistani school

16 December 2014 17:19 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday denounced a terror attack on a school in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, which killed at least 132 people, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms today's horrific attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan," the president said in a written statement.

"By targeting students and teachers in this heinous attack, terrorists have once again shown their depravity," he said.

The Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack, in which gunmen wearing army uniforms stormed into the army-run school in downtown Peshawar and exchanged fire with the security forces. At least 245 others were injured in the attack and an unknown number of students and staff were held hostage by the militants.

"We stand with the people of Pakistan, and reiterate the commitment of the United States to support the government of Pakistan in its efforts to combat terrorism and extremism and to promote peace and stability in the region," Obama said.