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Taliban targeted children to keep them from becoming soldiers

A message from the Taliban said the school was attacked to avenge the deaths of children in tribal areas killed by soldiers and accused the students of 'following the path of their fathers and brothers to take part in the fight.'

By Ed Adamczyk
Pakistani orphan children from ÒSweet HomeÓ light candles and hold pictures of children killed in the Peshawar School attack during a protest rally against the Taliban in Islamabad late on December 17, 2014. Taliban gunmen killed 141 people, 132 of which were students, at a military school in Peshawar, Pakistan on December 16, 2014. . UPI/Sajjad Ali Queshi
1 of 8 | Pakistani orphan children from ÒSweet HomeÓ light candles and hold pictures of children killed in the Peshawar School attack during a protest rally against the Taliban in Islamabad late on December 17, 2014. Taliban gunmen killed 141 people, 132 of which were students, at a military school in Peshawar, Pakistan on December 16, 2014. . UPI/Sajjad Ali Queshi | License Photo

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The Pakistani Taliban said Thursday the group massacred 148 people, mostly children, to prevent them from becoming soldiers and targeting the militant group.

A list of the dead at Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar indicated 132 of the victims at the Army Public School and Degree College were 14 years old. Most of the school's students are children of military personnel.

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In Tuesday's attack, terrorists, wearing explosives and with guns firing, entered an auditorium and ambushed students taking an exam. They then began a room-by-room siege of the school complex in which more students were located and shot.

An e-mail message from the Taliban warned Pakistani Muslims to avoid places with military connections, and predicted similar incidents if the army continues operations targeting the Taliban on the border with Afghanistan.

It added the school was attacked to avenge the deaths of children in tribal areas killed by soldiers and accused the students of "following the path of their fathers and brothers to take part in the fight."

Pakistani troops eventually confined the seven militants to four buildings of the school, and each was dead by the time the siege ended, officials said. The assailants arrived with enough ammunition and other supplies to remain for days, a Pakistani military official said.

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As the outrage and a three-day period of mourning began, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted the country's moratorium on the death penalty in cases of terrorism, and expressed frustration in dealing with the Taliban. "We tried dialogue with these militants, we reopened the door to talks. It was unsuccessful ... there was no other option than to engage in an operation against these people," he said.

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