Thirty-three TTP fighters were killed when special forces raided the facility where they were holding hostages.
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Pakistani special forces have raid anti-terrorist center in a remote northwest district, killing all 33 Pakistani Taliban fighters earlier this week Overwhelmed guard at baseconfiscated weapons and taken hostage, officials said.
According to the country’s defense minister, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters killed two hostages before Tuesday’s rescue operation.
But it is unclear how many officers have been held by hostage-takers at the center in Bannu, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, since Sunday’s blatant takeover.
Officials declined to elaborate or provide details of the operation, which was launched after more than 40 hours of failed negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban.
On Monday, officials said an officer was killed when TTP detainees, held for years at the Bannu counter-terrorism center, seized the facility.
Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told parliament that two hostages had been killed by the militants and that the rest had been freed.
Asif said 15 security forces were wounded in Tuesday’s operation. He said there were 33 hostage-takers and all of them were killed by security forces during the operation.
Earlier, the Taliban claimed they were keeping at least eight security personnel and officials said about 30 Taliban fighters were involved and they had requested a safe passage to the group’s former strongholds.
Three military and police officials said seven members of the special forces involved in the operation were injured.
Mohammad Ali Saif, government spokesman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the Taliban hostage-takers had the opportunity to surrender before the raid but refused.
Thick black smoke rose into the sky from inside the compound after two explosions were heard during the raid on Tuesday. Officials said continuous gunfire reverberated throughout the area for two hours.
All officials spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing situation. No military or government spokesman was immediately available for comment.
Sunday’s takeover of the police center reflects the Pakistani government’s prolonged inability to control the remote area along the border with Afghanistan.
