Militants seize police station in northwest Pakistan’s Bannu district

Islamabad [Pakistan], December 19 (ANI): Pakistani militants seized a police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s Bannu district on Sunday and took hostages to negotiate with government authorities, local media said.

Some 25 arrested members of banned terrorist organisations were under arrest at Bannu police station when they took the guns from seven security personnel on duty and took them hostage, a police officer in Bannu told Pakistan’s Dawn while asking not to be named. Requesting anonymity, the senior Pakistan officer said that several personnel was still in a hostage situation.

The provincial government claimed no one had attacked the police station but added that some suspects in custody under suspicion of terrorism tried to snatch weapons from security personnel deployed on-site, the report said.
“The situation is under complete control. Security forces have cordoned off the area,” he said, adding that an operation was underway and would be completed in a while.

This development comes after militants attacked KP’s Lakki Marwat on Sunday, leaving four policemen dead.
“At midnight, militants attacked the police station and tried to enter the building,” Lakki Police spokesperson Shahid Hameed told Dawn.
The Pakistani publication said no group has taken responsibility for the attack so far. But the police suspect the involvement of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the entire nation saluted the ‘huge sacrifices’ of police officers and soldiers in their fight against terrorism.
Shehbaz said that ‘terrorists were the open enemies’ of Pakistan. “Those who have been shielding the nation against terrorists are our heroes,” said a statement from the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan condemned the attack and sought a report from the police.

“Terrorist attack on Lucky Marwat police station Bargai/Chief Minister @IMMahmoodKhan condemned/Report sought from IG Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Lucky Marwat,” KP Chief Minister’s Office tweeted.

The latest attack comes amid a surge in militancy across Pakistan after TTP called off its ceasefire agreement with the government on Nov 28 and ordered its militants to stage attacks across the country.