Taliban members attacked a school in Peshawar, Pakistan on Tuesday, leaving at least 132 students and 10 staff members dead.
The death toll continues to rise as officials detail the horrific assault that occurred around 11am local time (1am ET).
Reports say that about 500 students and teachers were inside the Army Public School when the militants descended on the campus.
"We were standing outside the school and firing suddenly started and there was chaos everywhere and the screams of children and teachers," school bus driver Jamshed Khan recounted.
"They didn't take any hostages initially and started firing in the hall," Maj. Gen. Asim Bajwa said in a press conference.
"The gunmen entered class by class and shot some kids one by one," a student told reporters. The children were in grades one through 10.
"I saw children falling down who were crying and screaming," student Abdullah Jamal told The Associated Press. "I also fell down. I learned later that I have got a bullet." Jamal had been shot in the leg.
A military official further described the barbarism that took place inside the school. "They burnt a teacher in front of the students in a classroom," the source told NBC News. "They literally set the teacher on fire with gasoline and made the kids watch."
Pakistani officials said the terrorists were targeting children of senior military personnel, and the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Security officers battled the militants for eight hours to seize control of the school, and killed seven of the Taliban members. Five explosions were heard in the school around 5am ET, and more bombs planted by the militants impeded rescue efforts. Shortly after the assault ended, an explosion of unknown origin was heard in the city.
President Obama condemned the massacre.
"By targeting students and teachers in this heinous attack, terrorists have once again shown their depravity," he said in a statement.
