Security forces kill 33 Islamic militants after they captured a police station in Pakistan and held everyone hostage for 48 hours

 


Tuesday, 20 December 2022 – Special security forces in Pakistan have retaken a police station that was captured by Islamic militants, killing all 33 hostage-takers.

Islamist militants from the Pakistani Taliban seized the police centre in the remote north-western Bannu district on Sunday, December 18.

The Pakistani Taliban – also known as the TTP – confirmed it was behind the attack, according to a statement reported by local media.

Several people, including security officials, were inside at the time, according to Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

According to Asif all hostages were freed on Monday, two special forces killed, and 10 to 15 members of the military injured.

The TTP emerged in 2007 and was suppressed by a military operation in 2014, before re-emerging.

It is different from the Afghan Taliban, though it has been more active since the Afghans agreed a peace deal with the US in 2020, and took control of the country last year.

Explaining what Defence minister Asif told parliament that the 33 militants had links to different groups, and were being held in a counter-terrorism compound.

He said the hostages were taken after one militant hit a guard on the head with a brick and snatched his weapon.

The militants are said to have requested a safe exit in return for releasing the hostages, terms which the government’s negotiation team refused.

Army commandoes took the chance to take back the police station at 12:30 local time (07:30 GMT) after the hostage-takers found themselves arguing among themselves.

Witnesses of the siege reported explosions and heavy gunfire.

Asif told parliament that “all the terrorists” had been killed, and all the hostages freed – without specifying what the latter number was.

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