PESHAWAR – At least one Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) official wasmartyred while several were injured after TTP militants took over a CTDcompound and held the officials hostage in Bannu.
Amid the hostage situation, officials said a security operation against themilitants is underway and would be completed soon.
The provincial administration of the country’s northwestern region claimedthat prisoners snatched weapons from interrogators and helped release otherinmates, ruling out reports of militants’ intrusion in Bannu Cantonment.
Banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan – a week after ending ceasefire, andincreasing attacks on security forces, said prisoners had taken severalarmy officers and the staff hostage at the compound.
TTP also rejected reports claiming that prisoners were seeking safe passageto Afghanistan as they mentioned going to Waziristan, saying the Pakistanigovernment had not given a positive response in return.
It was reported that a senior police officer in Bannu said around 25members of banned terrorist organisations were under arrest andinterrogation at the CTD center when they took guns from seven securitypersonnel on duty and took them hostage.
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“Three injured policemen have been evacuated and transported to ahospital,” the officer said, adding that a number of personnel were stillin a hostage situation.
Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, Special Assistant to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ChiefMinister on Information, said no one had attacked the police station.Rather, some suspects in custody under suspicion of terrorism tried tosnatch weapons from security personnel deployed on site.
“The situation is under complete control. Security forces have cordoned offthe area,” he said, adding that an operation was underway and would becompleted in a while.
ANP MPA Samar Haroon Bilour addressed the situation and said KhyberPakhtunkhwa was “on fire”.
