"Wait for the army people, kill them before blowing yourself," his handler ordered, instructing the suicide attackers who were executing one of the most gruesome attacks against children in recent history.
Citing a security official, the Dawn said it was one of the last conversations between the attackers and their handler on Tuesday shortly before two remaining suicide bombers charged towards the commandos positioned just outside the side entrance of the Army Public School's administration block.
Pakistan has identified the attackers and it got the transcripts of the conversation between one of them named 'Abuzar', and his handler, 'commander' Umar, the paper said.
"Umar Adizai, also known as Umar Naray and Umar Khalifa, is a senior militant from the Frontier Region Peshawar," it said, adding that security officials believe he made the calls from Nazian district of Afghanistan's Nangrahar province.
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The officials believe that out of seven attackers, five militants blew themselves up inside the administration block and two others outside it, the paper said.
Citing officials, Dawn said the attackers entered the building by climbing its rear wall, using a ladder and cutting barbed wire. They then stormed the main auditorium where an instructor was giving a first-aid lesson to senior students.
"Did the attackers have prior knowledge of the congregation in the main hall... This is one of the questions we are trying to find an answer to," a security official said.