PAKISTAN: -BANNU OPERATION
Local News Peshawar , BANNU, PAKISTAN
News ID : 92600 Video Version : 1 Script Version : 1
1:17
Headline
Pakistani Commandos complete operation against terrorists at Bannu Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) centre.
Intro
Defence Minister says all terrorists killed, 2 commandos martyred in operation.
Story
STORY: Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, told Parliament on Tuesday (December 20) that the Special Services Group (SSG) had completed an operation against terrorists at Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Centre Bannu, recovering all hostages and killing all members of the outlaw organization.
Around 20 fighters from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who were detained at the CTD centre, had reportedly snatched interrogators' weapons and taken them captive on Sunday (December 18).
Commando forces had immediately surrounded the highly fortified military cantonment area in Bannu district where the detention centre was located.
On Monday (December 19), Pakistani authorities had opened talks to resolve the stand-off, but the terrorists refused to free the hostages.
On Tuesday, Pakistani army commandos stormed the CTD centre in an operation that lasted for several hours.
Locals said they had heard two loud explosions in the wee hours of the morning, followed by sounds of firing. Smoke could be seen rising from the centre.
Khawaja Asif told parliament that all the hostages had been freed by the army in the operation, in which two Special Services Group (SSG) commandos were killed and several soldiers including an officer were wounded.
Government sources said the militants were demanding safe passage to Afghanistan, but the TTP said that Pakistan's tribal regions were safe enough for the militants to flee to.
