Pakistan: Taliban terrorists still in control of anti-terror centre in Bannu; no breakthrough in talks

A serious hostage crisis in Pakistan involving terrorists continued for the third day on 20 December 2022.

Terrorists of the Pakistani Taliban took control of a counter-terrorism centre in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 18 December.

Negotiations between the federal government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban, or TTP, failed to bear fruit. The TTP wants a safe passage for its arrested members to either to South or North Waziristan tribal districts.

Also watch: Taliban militants seize police station in northwest Pakistan; one killed

The crisis at the Bannu cantonment began with an arrested terrorist snatching an AK-47 rifle from a policeman and opening fire. He freed other terrorists and they killed 2 cops, while taking many police personnel hostage.

A lockdown has been imposed in the area.

The TTP, set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007, last month called off a ceasefire agreed upon with the federal government in June and ordered its militants to stage terrorist attacks across the country.

(With PTI inputs)