Meanwhile, a US drone fired two missiles at militant hide-out in north-western Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least five Taliban fighters, two security officials said.

The drone strike comes after Pakistan unleashed its fury on the Taliban in a revenge attack that killed 67 militants in a north-western tribal region near the Afghan border.

Overwhelming grief ... Pakistanis mourn over the death of their children at an entry gate of the Army Public School. Picture: AP Source: AP

Men, women and children from Peshawar and other cities visited the army-run institution to offer prayers for those killed in the country’s deadliest-ever terror attack.

Pakistan has described Tuesday’s bloody rampage as its own “mini 9/11”, calling it a game-changer in the fight against extremism.

Security ... soldiers provide security during a mass prayer for the victims of a school massacre, in Peshawar. Thousands of Pakistanis flocked to the school to mourn the 149 people — mainly children — massacred by the Taliban. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

‘WE HAVE KILLED ALL THE CHILDREN. NOW WHAT?’

Mourners placed flowers, bouquets, placards and lit candles in front of photos of murdered students.

Masons laid bricks and poured cement to raise the height of the wall around the Army Public School as mourners chanted slogans such as “Death to terrorists”, “Long live Pakistan army”, “The blood of martyrs will not go waste” and “Taliban are savages”.

Rebuilding ... Pakistani labourers build the wall of the army run school after it was attacked by Taliban militants. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

HEARTBREAKING: THE YOUNG FACES OF THE PAKISTAN MASSACRE

“What kind of a person can kill a child?” asked local resident Imdad Hussain, who came to pray for the children.

“What kind of justice is this, what kind of Islam is this?” he asked, urging the government swiftly to wipe out terrorists.

NATION IN MOURNING: PAKISTAN SCHOOL MASSACRE

A local woman, her face covered with a shawl, said parents had thought their sons and daughters would be safe in school.

But now they believed their children were not safe anywhere.

“First they attacked mosques, then markets and now they have started attacking schools. We cannot tolerate this.

“We can die, but we will not let our children be killed,” she said.

Massacre ... a mourner looks through the gates of the army-run school. Thousands of people have flocked to the school to demand action again the Taliban. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Shugufta Bibi, 28, told AFP her friend lost his son in the attack and she had come to pay respects to his memory.

“I demand that the government close in on the terrorists and hang them in public,” Bibi said.

Tributes and condolences poured in on social media websites Facebook and Twitter.

The city’s Christian community will cancel Christmas celebrations and will just hold a service on December 25, said the Rev Patrick John of All Saints Church.

The school massacre has been condemned even by the Afghan Taliban, who are loosely affiliated with the Taliban in Pakistan.

In a statement, the regional al-Qaeda chapter also expressed grief at the killings and urged fellow militants to target only security forces.

Taliban attack ... Pakistani soldiers leave the school, where a massacre prompted global revulsion and put the government under new pressure to combat the scourge of militancy. AFP Source: AFP

“Our hearts are bursting with pain and grief over this incident,” said Osama Mehmood, spokesman for al-Qaeda’s South Asia chapter.

After the school attack Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ended a six-year moratorium on the death penalty, reinstating its use for terrorism-related cases.

Two militants convicted of separate offences were the first to face the noose. Human Rights Watch termed the executions “a craven politicised reaction to the Peshawar killings” and demanded that no further hangings be carried out.

Children slaughtered ... a Pakistani photographer takes photos of the bloodshed inside a classroom. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

The two militants hanged Friday in the central province of Punjab were Aqil, convicted of an attack on army headquarters in Rawalpindi in 2009, and Arshad Mehmood — sentenced for involvement in a 2003 assassination attempt on then-military ruler General Pervez Musharraf.

Pakistan put all its airports on red alert on Saturday as the military intensified operations against militants in the lawless north-western tribal areas.

The Taliban said the school attack by a suicide squad was revenge for the killing of militants’ families in that offensive.

Families destroyed ... Pakistanis mourn over the death of their children at an entry gate of the Army Public School. Picture: AP Source: AP

The military has since June been waging the assault against longstanding Taliban and other militant strongholds.

But a series of fresh strikes since the Peshawar attack, in which dozens of alleged militants were killed, suggest the campaign is being stepped up.

The army has also been deployed to guard major prisons housing militants. Officials have said there would be up to ten more executions in coming days.

Tragedy ... Gravedigger Taj Muhammad adjusts wreaths on a grave of one of the victims. Picture: AP Source: AP