Four unidentified gunmen entered the university and opened fire on students and faculty members. On Wednesday January 20, 2016 students and faculty members were gathered at the school for a poetry recital to commemorate the death anniversary of the activist and leader Bach Khan.
At least 22 people were killed and around 100 others were wounded. The mastermind of the APS Peshawar attack, Umar Mansoor, of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Geedar group has claimed the attack through a post on his Facebook page, adding that four attackers were sent to the university. However, a spokesperson from the TTP, Mohammad Khorasani, issued a conflicting statement shortly after Mansoor’s claim, in which Khorasani condemned the attack, terming it “against Shariah”.