Pakistani Minister of Defense Khawaja Asif announced earlier today that the hostage situation at the counterterrorism headquarters in Bannu ended after Special Services Group (SSG) operators stormed the facility and neutralized the remaining militants.
Another unverified video from #Bannu hostage situation…
(copied from SM) pic.twitter.com/UUR9fzohyF— Afghan Analyst (@AfghanAnalyst2) December 18, 2022
On Sunday, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants being detained at the facility staged an outbreak, overpowering security officers and taking their weapons. The initial taking of hostages saw several security force members being killed or wounded by the militants, an exact number which remains unclear.
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— Shabbir Hussain Turi (@ShabbirTuri) December 20, 2022
The militants demanded that they receive safe passage to Afghanistan or else the hostages would be killed. When negotiations failed, SSG operators stormed the building. Pakistani officials reported that all militants had been captured or killed with all hostages being rescued, however, two SSG operators had died in the fighting.
The incident comes a month after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the Pakistani government, which has seen a significant increase in attacks in the Kyber region over the past several weeks.
