Taliban militants seize counter-terrorism centre in Pakistan, take nine police personnel hostages

"It's not clear if the terrorists attacked from outside, or if they snatched the ammunition from staff inside," Bannu police spokesman told Reuters.

New Delhi: Taliban militants on Sunday (December 18, 2022) seized a counter-terrorism centre in Pakistan's troubled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and took hostages. Police confirmed that there is a "hostage situation" ongoing at the Counter-terrorism Department installation at Bannu Cantonment.

"The militants infiltrated into the Cantonment and freed imprisoned wanted terrorists," news agency PTI quoted a police official as saying.

They subsequently took control of a section of the compound, holding CTD security personnel hostage, police said.

"It's not clear if the terrorists attacked from outside, or if they snatched the ammunition from staff inside while being interrogated following their arrest," Bannu police spokesman Muhammad Naseeb told news agency Reuters.

He said the compound had been surrounded by security forces and that the local residents have been asked to remain indoors.

An official said that about 15 militants took control of the centre after overpowering interrogators inside and grabbing their weapons.

In a video released by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants from inside the compound, they claimed that nine police personnel are under captivity and demanded safe passage to Afghanistan by air in order to release the hostages.

The incident took place hours after militants attacked a police station in Lakki Marwat bordering the South Waziristan tribal district early Sunday morning, leaving four policemen dead and as many injured, officials said.

The TTP, set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007, last month called off a ceasefire agreed upon with the federal government in June and ordered its militants to stage terrorist attacks across the country.

The group, which is believed to be close to al-Qaeda, has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases, and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.

(With agency inputs)