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.

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.

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.