The government of Pakistan has announced that the takeover of a police station in Bannu, in the northeast of the country, by terrorists ended with the deaths of all 33 invaders. They were members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban — despite the name, the group is not the same group that seized power in Afghanistan last year.
The attack began on Sunday (18), when a group detained at the police station on suspicion of terrorism seized the weapons of their jailers and took eight police officers hostage. They required a safe-conduct pass to travel either to the Afghan border, about 100 kilometers from Bannu, or to the former Pakistani autonomous tribal areas.
A senior official told Reuters that authorities in Kabul tried to negotiate with the kidnappers and the Afghan Taliban to obtain the release of the hostages on Monday (20), but all options failed and they ended up opting for the use of force.
Around 12:00 local time (04:00 GMT), elite army units took advantage of disagreements between the kidnappers on how to deal with the hostages and entered the police station. Area residents claimed to have heard explosions coming from the police station as helicopters flew over the area.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told parliament that all hostages had been released. He added that two members of the security forces died in the action, and that between 10 and 15 agents were injured.
Schools in the region suspended their activities due to fear of new kidnappings. Commercial buildings also remained closed, and several highways were blocked by police.
The episode took place a day after the TTP killed four police officers in a nearby town.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
