A COMMUNITY will gather in Southampton today as prayers are held to remember those killed in a massacre in Pakistan.

Members of the Pakistani and Islamic communities are heading to mosques across Southampton after terrorists shot scores of schoolchildren in the city of Peshawar.

Shocking images have been shown across the world after gunmen went from class to class shooting students at the Army Public School in the north west of the country.

Mohammed “Khanjee” Khan, secretary of the Abu Bakr mosque in Argyle Road said the incident has left a community in mourning.

He added that prayers would be held at the mosque from 1.15pm to 1.30pm today.

Children will also be lighting candles at a special gathering from 1.45pm to 2.15pm on Sunday at the Peace Fountain in Andrews Park in the city centre.

All are welcome to attend the event along with community leaders.

Speaking to the Daily Echo Khanjee said: “Yesterday I was very upset. One hundred and forty people have been killed. People are very upset about it. It’s really bad.

“They [the gunmen] went to the school, they knew it was unguarded, they knew nothing was going on that they started killing people. It had nothing to do with them [the children].”

There may also be a chance for people to hold prayers at the mosque on Sunday. Organised by the Taliban, the attack has been referred to as a “national tragedy” by Khalid Farooq of Southampton’s Pakistan Welfare Association.

Mr Farooq said “too many families” have been left “devastated” by this event which is the Pakistani Taliban’s deadliest attack to date.

He said: “This is a very big tragedy that’s shaken up the whole community. They shocked the whole of Pakistan. We need to capture these [members of the] Taliban.

“This is a very bad attack, no one can think about it.”

The Pakistani Taliban said they had carried out the attack to avenge army-led operations against them in the Khyber and North Waziristan areas.