#Hostage_situation in #Bannu:
Armed militants of unknown group stormed an installation of the Counter-Terrorism Department (#CTD) of #Pakistan in Bannu, released dozens of prisoners and took 9 PAK security forces, including Major Khorshid Akram (as militants claim) hostages...
...In an unverified video, they claimed that they are 35 people and asking PAK Army to provide them safe #air_transport to #AFG (in ten minutes), in exchange for the release of all hostages. They warned to kill all 9 hostages& will fight till death, if their #demand was rejected.
Note:
While it is early to comment, but the wording of the hostage takers in Bannu (using respectful words to PAK army), their demand (to be airlifted to AFG)& the overall scene, seems to be 'staged'...a #victimization drama of PAK& to prove that AFG is safe haven for terrorists.
Below is a media report about the hostage situation in #Bannu.
it is noteworthy that the #TTP, or any other group, didn't claim the attack yet.
In the video, hostage takers didn't attribute themselves to a specific group, saying "we are Mujahidin-e Islam".
news18.com/news/world/9-p…
Another unverified video from #Bannu hostage situation...
(copied from SM)
Special assistant to KPK chief minister on info Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif said no one had attacked the #CTD facility in Bannu, rather some suspects in custody under suspicion of terrorism tried to #snatch_weapons from security personnel deployed on site.
dawn.com/news/1727008/m…
A hostage taker in the first video saying:
"We dreamed yesterday& we were told in dream to attack them (interrogators/officials), kill some of them& take hostage the rest. Then Allah will guide you along the way."
The free movement of hostage takers in 2nd video is #questionable.
In a statement, the TTP confirmed that some of the hostage takers in Bannu were the members of the group.
TTP warned if the hostage takers' demands (safe passage to TTP controlled areas) were not met, the PAK government would be responsible for the consequences/death of hostages.
TTP:
"The only way to save the soldiers&prison staff who are trapped there is to transfer prisoners to North or South Waziristan according to their demand. Since they did not fully understand the current situation due to many years of being in secret prisons, they mentioned AFG."
There are also other prisoners in the Bannu jail, beside TTP linked inmates...in the video, those other prisoners asking PAK government to rescue them.
In the fourth video, the hostage takers in Bannu changed their demand, saying they want a safe passage to Wana of South Waziristan, not to Afghanistan. Despite the siege of Bannu CTD related compound by PAK Army, the communication of hostage takers to the outside is questionable.
As the hostage situation continue, according to @khorasandiary, "Deputy Commissioner (DC) District Bannu, in a notification, has announced a public holiday across the district in all public&private educational institutions for tomorrow, December 20, 2022."
While the #hostage_situation in #Bannu continues for the third day& the government closed all educational institutions, communications& govt. offices in the area, the #TTP leader in an audio message congratulated the hostage takers& praised their action.
Mufti Noor Wali Mahsood in his audio clip warned the TTP related hostage takers in Bannu CTD compound to be careful and not to get cheated by PAK government's false promises, and asked them to firmly stand on their stance until victory, "either safe passage or matyrdom".
The TTP's defense minister, in an earlier video of the group about the Bannu hostage situation, asked people to pray for the TTP members. The senior hostage taker, commander Zarar in a part of the video is saying that they have pledged allegiance to death.
PAK Army's SSG launched an #operation against #TTP militants who are in control of a CTD installation in #Bannu& took an unknown number of people, including some PAK security forces members, as #hostage, to end the deadlock.
Negotiations reportedly failed.
ISPR:
25 TTP members were killed in the clash, 3 were arrested and 7 surrendered to the forces.
3 PAK security officers were killed in the operation while 10, incl. 3 officers, were injured.
For key points of the TTP statement, see:
dawn.com/news/1727467/2…
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