A tense standoff between Taliban militants and Pakistan’s army and police force ended three days after the gunmen seized a local counter-terrorism centre and took hostages.
Pakistani security forces launched an operation on Tuesday and shot dead all the militants who seized the counter-terrorism centre in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to reports.
The militants, which officials earlier said numbered to at least 30, were members of the Tehreek–e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group of Islamist and sectarian bodies separate from the Afghan Taliban.
Following the raid, Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said the swift operation was successful, but did not elaborate on how many Taliban militants were killed or whether any Pakistani official or civilian was killed in collateral damage.
The militants were detainees at the centre, held on suspicion of terrorism for years.
They demanded safe passage to Afghanistan in return for the release of at least six police and military intelligence officers.
On Tuesday afternoon, two explosions were heard in the area and thick black smoke was seen in the sky coming from the besieged centre.
Intermittent gunshots were also heard, officials told the Associated press on condition of anonymity.
Pakistani security officials stand guard outside the entrance to Bannu Cantt area
(EPA)
Mohammad Ali Saif, a government spokesman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said Taliban militants were given a chance to surrender before the raid but they refused.
Pakistani authorities had earlier on Monday opened talks to resolve the standoff, but 40-hour-long efforts to negotiate yielded no results.
On Monday, one officer at the centre was reported killed by the militants.
“All options failed and the terrorists refused to free innocent people, so we decided to use force,” a senior security official told Reuters on anonymity, adding that an offensive was not launched earlier considering the safety of the hostages.
He said minimum force would be used to ensure the hostages’ safe release.
Special forces deployed in the area stormed the compound, security and intelligence officials said, without giving details.
Schools were ordered to shut down in Bannu
(AFP via Getty Images)
Local schools in the area were ordered to shut, according to authorities, who cited concerns over more…
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