Bannu’s CTD centre cleared; Three soldiers embrace martyrdom,25 terrorists killed,ISPR

Rawalpindi/Bannu_Security forces killed 25 terrorists and arrested three others during an operation to free anti-terrorism police who were held hostage in a prison compound in Bannu,

According to the military media wing, three security personnel embraced martyrdom while another 10 sustained injuries.

Sharing details, ISPR DG Major General Ahmed Sharif said the terrorist overpowered the duty constable in the CTD complex in Bannu Cantt and got their 34 accomplices free after taking away the weapon of the constable.

The terrorists killed one CTD constable and injured another. The injured constable later died in the hospital.  Major General Ahmed Sharif said that the terrorists took hostage the officers.

As soon as the sound of firing was heard from the CTD compound, the security forces immediately arrived from Bannu Cantt and surrounded the area. Immediately after the seizure, two terrorists were killed and three were arrested in the firefight.

The terrorists demanded a safe route to Afghanistan, it was made clear to the terrorists that this demand won’t be accepted. The spokesperson of Pakistan forces further said that the security forces took action after the deadline for surrender passed.

Major General Ahmed Sharif said that the security forces are determined to maintain the writ of the state.

Bannu is close to North Waziristan, a region that long served as headquarters for militants linked to al-Qaeda and the dreaded Haqqani network of Afghan Taliban.

Pakistani Taliban, who are outlawed in Pakistan, have killed around 80,000 people in decades of violence. They were pushed into Afghanistan in a series of offensives since 2014, but have been trying to recapture their former stronghold regions since the fall of Kabul to the Afghan Taliban last year.