Chemistry professor Syed Hamid Hussain, 34, has been named as one of the victims of the violent attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Pakistan. Two of his students spoke of how Hamid tried to save them by fighting off the militants.
Suspected Taliban gunmen stormed the campus on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and injuring 51. When security officials entered the university, a gun battle took place, lasting several hours. Four gunmen were killed.
Zahoor Ahmed, a geology student, told AFP that Dr. Hamid told him not to leave the building when he first heard gun shots.
“[Dr Hamid] was holding a pistol in his hand," Ahmed said. “Then I saw a bullet hit him. I saw two militants were firing. I ran inside and then managed to flee by jumping over the back wall.”
Another student said they saw the professor fire at attackers with his gun.
People have taken to Twitter to pay their respects to Hamid. One user said Pakistan has "lost an asset," while another called Hamid a "martyr of education."