Washington: The brutal attack on a Peshawar school killing more than 141 students reinforces the fact that Pakistan must continue to clear terrorists from its safe havens, top American lawmakers have said as they joined hands across the aisle in condemning this barbaric attack.

"Today's terrorist attack in Pakistan on schoolchildren is absolutely sickening. "The heinous attack demonstrates once again the barbarity of the Pakistani Taliban in pushing its extreme ideology, with complete disregard for the lives of innocent children and civilians," said Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday.