Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to deal with the militant groups with “iron hands” and asserted that the state would not bow down to any militant groups.
“Attempts to spread chaos in Pakistan through terrorism will be dealt with iron hands,” the premier said in a statement carried by state-run Radio Pakistan on Wednesday. He said the federal government would also address the “external facilitation of terrorists who disseminate and support it in Pakistan”.
A day earlier, the army’s elite commandos killed 25 militants who had seized the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in Bannu, the military’s media wing said in a late-night announcement on Tuesday, ending a three-day hostage situation.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the soldiers from the Special Service Group (SSG) foiled the militants’ attempt to escape the facility after their demand to provide them a safe passage to Afghanistan was rejected.
It may be noted that in November the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had said that they had called off a ceasefire agreed with the federal government in June and ordered its militants to stage terrorist attacks across the country.
