Peshawar, Jan 20 (IANS): At least 15 people, including two gunmen, were killed in when terrorists stormed the Bacha Khan University in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, Dawn reported citing Edhi Foundation sources.

The gunmen opened fire at students and faculty members who had gathered in a school on the varsity campus for a poetry recital to commemorate the anniversary of the activist and leader after whom the school is named.

There were conflicting reports from the site initially with CNN news placing the toll at seven. "It's not yet clear how many of the dead are attackers and how many are civilians," a CNN report said.

State-run PTV quoted a police official as saying that three armed men entered the university premises and opened fire.

Heavy firing took place inside Bacha Khan University in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Charsadda town as security forces took on the armed assailants in a gun fight, witnesses said. Several people also heard explosions, a media report said.

Television reports said a large contingent of security forces rushed to the site and engaged the assailants in a gun battle.

A woman inside the university told Dawn that intense firing was under way.