BANNU, Dec 20 (Reuters): Security forces on Tuesday launched an operation to free hostages being held by TTP militants at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in the Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, three sources told Reuters.
Local residents said they heard explosions coming from the vicinity of the facility.
The operation was conducted by the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army and all hostages were reportedly recovered from the CTD compound.
Sources said that six TTP militants were killed and a clearance operation is now underway at the security facility. Authorities also declared an emergency in all hospitals in the district.
The hostage situation had entered its third day as talks to resolve the stand-off with the militants failed to make headway.
Since no breakthrough was made and the situation remained tense in the town, deputy commissioner Bannu declared that all government and private educational institutions across the district will remain closed today.
All routes leading to Bannu Cantt have been closed to traffic, with the barricades manned by law enforcement personnel. Authorities have also shut down the cellular network in the district.
On Sunday, two CTD officials were martyred and many more injured after a militant reportedly overpowered interrogators, snatched an AK-47 rifle and opened fire inside the CTD police station in Bannu.
Security forces surrounded the highly fortified cantonment area, where around 20 fighters from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are holed up after seizing control of the facility.
District Police Officer (DPO) Bannu Dr Iqbal told The Express Tribune that the militants had been kept engaged by means of negotiations.
The terrorists were looking to negotiate for safe passage to Afghanistan. However, the situation remained tense as talks with militants yielded no results on Monday.
A senior government official said that the hostages were still being held after a failed operation to free them.
“They want us to provide them safe passage via a ground route or by air. They want to take all the hostages with them and release them later on the Afghan border or inside Afghanistan,” said the DPO.
