Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Tuesday said that the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army had completed the operation against terrorists at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Centre Bannu, recovering all hostages and killing all the terrorists of the banned organization.
While sharing details of the security forces’ operation against militants, who besieged the CTD center in Bannu district, the defence minister informed the joint session of the parliament that all terrorists had been eliminated and the cleared had been cleared at 2:30 pm on Tuesday.
The minister said that the operation started at 12:30 pm on December 20 (today) and concluded at 2:30 pm. He added that around 10 to 15 SSG jawans including one officer sustained injuries while two embraced martyrdoms.
He said that the situation emerged after an arrested militant overpowered a police official, snatched his rifle, and later held hostages inside the CTD centre in Bannu district.
Bannu CTD Centre attack
The defence minister said, “All the terrorists who had taken hostages at the CTD centre in Bannu were killed during the operation of security forces.” He said that 33 terrorists were inside the centre and all were killed in the operation carried out by the Pak Army’s SSG.
He said that it was a matter of concern that terrorist activities were increasing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the 33 terrorists arrested were evidence of what was happening in KP.
He said that the chief minister KP and CTD department which is responsible for countering terrorism in the province was actually hostages of Imran Khan as his government did nothing during the last nine years even in floods and other untoward situations.
Bannu attack evidence of govt’s failure
The minister said that this incident is again an utter failure of Imran Khan’s government in KP and added that Pakistan Army played its role again. He added that there was no role of the provincial government of KP in handling the situation, where Imran Khan openly uses resources of the provincial government including its helicopter.
He said there was a total collapse of the KP province in the presence of Imran Khan as the CM cannot do anything without his permission.
Later, the minister informed the National Assembly that Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) would share the complete information about the operation against terrorists.
Bannu CTD Centre operation underway: ISPR
Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the Army Operation was successfully underway at Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) office in Bannu.
In a news release here received, the ISPR informed that the operation would be completed soon whereas further details were to follow.
