Rawalpindi (Web Desk): At least 25 terrorists were killed as an operation to free hostages being held by militants at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) centre in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa concluded.
Talking to a private news channel, ISPR DG Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif said that 33 terrorists were under investigation in the CTD compound on Dec 18. “One of them snatched a weapon from a CTD officer and got his allies freed. They took hold of the weapons from the armoury and started firing, martyring a CTD officer while one was injured who later passed away.”
He said one officer of the security forces present inside the complex was taken hostage and other security personnel reached the site and surrounded the complex as soon as they heard the sound of firing. The ISPR chief further said on their refusal to surrender, the security forces stormed the complex, killing 25 terrorists in a heavy exchange of fire.
Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, said that “all the terrorists” of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who had taken hostages at a CTD centre in Bannu were killed in an operation conducted by the Pakistan Army.
The defence minister said that a unit of the army’s Special Service Group (SSG) carried out the operation, in which 10-15 of its commandos were injured while two were martyred.
The defence minister criticised PTI Chairman Imran Khan and called the incident a “total collapse” of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. “The unfortunate aspect of this is that terrorism is again making strides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan,” he said.
Late Sunday, the militants held in the CTD centre took control of the building and took a number of law enforcers hostage. They had demanded safe passage to Afghanistan.
