Two killed as Taliban militants take hostages in northwest Pakistan

Islamabad: At least two Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials were killed and several others got injured when Pakistani Taliban militants seized a counter-terrorism centre and took some people hostage in the Bannu district of Pakistan’s troubled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. One of the militants, who had been arrested and being interrogated at CTD police station inside the cantonment, on Sunday snatched an AK-47 from the police and opened fire. He then freed other suspects being held at the building who took control of the compound. They also took several policemen hostage. The situation is still tense in the area as a military operation is going on. The Bannu district police officer has informed that the militant also freed other suspects being held in the building and they took control of the compound, taking several policemen hostage, The Express Tribune reported. “There was no attack from outside. One of the miscreants snatched rifle from police during interrogation and neutralised the guards deployed at the building. He then freed all the suspects being held at the building and who took control of the compound, DPO Bannu Dr Iqbal said. “They have also taken several policemen hostage. They are in control of the building and we have cordoned off the entire Bannu cantonment. They have been kept busy by means of negotiations. We have our own plan which cannot be shared with the media at the moment,” the DPO added. On the other hand, militants purportedly released at least three videos in which they could be seen armed with AK-47 rifles and medium machine guns. Tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan The relation between Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan and the Taliban authorities are under growing stress in the wake of rising cross-border attacks and violent actions by the TTP from Afghanistan’s soil, Dawn reported. Earlier, at least eight people in Pakistan were killed in a border clash between Afghanistan and Pakistani border forces in Chaman. Last month, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Mohammed Sadiq, in the policy statement delivered in the meeting of Moscow Format member states in Russia, presented a ‘progress report’ of 16 months of Taliban rule. During the meeting, he noted that the expectations of Pakistan and the international community had not been met on key issues. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.