Several Pakistani Taliban militants, who were detained at a counter-terrorism center in Bannu, overpowered their guards and took several security officials and staff as hostages.
Security officials stand guard on a blocked road leading to a counter-terrorism center where several Pakistani Taliban detainees have taken police officers and others hostage. (AP photo)
By India Today Web Desk: Several Pakistani Taliban militants who were detained at a counter-terrorism centre in north-western Pakistan overnight overpowered their guards and seized control of the facility. The militants also took several people hostage, with the crisis continuing 15 hours later on Monday.
So far there has been no breakthrough in the hostage negotiation as the talks between the government and the militants failed to reach any conclusion.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The militants were detained at a counter-terrorism center in Bannu, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, when they overpowered their guards, snatched their weapons, and took control of the facility on Sunday.
Pakistan has so far confirmed the death of one official during the incident.
Following the takeover of the detention center by the Taliban militants, the Pakistan government deployed police and military troops to get the situation under control. According to officials, at least 30 Taliban fighters were involved in the takeover and there were possibly as many as 10 hostages.
WHAT ARE MILITANTS DEMANDING?
The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the incident. In a statement, a spokesperson for the militant group said that its members had taken staff and security officials of the detention centre as hostage. Initially, the hostage-takers demanded to be airlifted to Afghanistan but the Pakistan Taliban spokesperson said that demand had been made by mistake, since the TTP fighters were not aware — due to their prolonged detention — that the group now “enjoys control in some” parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Afghan border.
The TTP spokesperson claimed that they spoke to Pakistan government and demanded that the prisoners should be shifted to either South or North Waziristan. He said that so far the militants have not received a positive response so far.
In a video message circulating on social media, the hostage-takers threatened to kill the officers if their safe passage was not arranged.
NO BREAKTHROUGH IN HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION
Almost 15 hours in, the crisis is yet to be resolved as the standoff between the Pakistan government and the TTP militants continued.
(With inputs from AP)