The first photos of the school in Peshawar where the Taliban launched an attack that killed 148 people, mostly children, reveal a scene of devastation.

The school is shattered after hours of fighting, its floor slick with blood and walls pockmarked with bullet holes.

Classrooms are filled with abandoned school bags, shoes, mobile phones and broken chairs. One wall is smashed where a suicide bomber blew himself up, blood splattered across it.

peshawar school aftermath
A Pakistani soldier shows members of the media a burnt-out classroom, the day after the attack by Taliban militants A Majeed/AFP
peshawar school aftermath
A soldier inspects the Army Public School the day after it was attacked by Taliban gunmen Zohra Bensemra/Reuters
peshawar school attack
A reporter walks past a damaged wall at the Army Public School Fayaz Aziz/Reuters
peshawar school aftermath
Bullet holes are seen in the wall at the army-run school the day after the attack by Taliban militants A Majeed/AFP
peshawar school aftermath
Pakistani soldiers walk amid the debris in the army-run school A Majeed/AFP
peshawar school aftermath
A boy walks where people said Taliban gunmen burnt a car to a block a road outside the Army Public School Zohra Bensemra/Reuters
peshawar school aftermath
Rescue team members go through debris inside the Army Public School Zohra Bensemra/Reuters
peshawar school aftermath
A fire-damaged book is seen among charred debris at the Army Public School Zohra Bensemra/Reuters

The attack began when seven Taliban gunmen, explosives strapped to their bodies, scaled a back wall using a ladder to get into the school.

Once inside, they made their way into the main auditorium where many students had gathered for an event.

peshawar school aftermath
Shoes lie in blood on the auditorium floor at the Army Public School Fayaz Aziz/Reuters
peshawar school aftermath
Members of the media photograph the aftermath in the auditorium A Majeed/AFP
peshawar school aftermath
A book and a shoe lie in a pool of blood in the auditorium A Majeed/AFP

The militants then made their way to the hall's stage and started shooting at random. As students tried to flee for the doors, they were shot and killed.

The military recovered about 100 bodies from the auditorium alone.

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