Operation at CTD Centre concludes
-Defence Minister says all 33 terrorists killed, 2 SSG Commandos martyred, 10-15 Soldiers injured
-Confirms all hostages freed, entire CTD compound cleared
-TTP’s militants took over compound on Sunday
By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday confirmed that “all the terrorists” of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who had taken hostages at a Counter-Terrorism Depart¬ment (CTD) centre in Bannu were killed in an operation conducted by the Pakistan Army.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Asif said that 33 terrorists were under arrest at the CTD compound and one of them had managed to snatch a gun from an employee after hitting him in the head with a brick.
The defence minister said that a unit of the army’s Special Service Group (SSG) carried out the operation, in which 10-15 of its commandos were injured while two were martyred.
“This operation was initiated on December 20 at 12:30pm by the Special Service Group and all terrorists were killed,” Asif said, adding that the entire CTD compound was cleared by 2:30pm.
The defence minister criticised PTI Chairman Imran Khan and called the incident a “total collapse” of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. “The unfortunate aspect of this is that terrorism is again making strides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan,” he said. [Terrorism] incidents have taken places in other provinces as well but there is clear evidence that terrorists from across the border or locally are rising again [in KP and Balochistan]. “These 33 were under arrest regarding this situation and they had a link with multiple groups. The provincial government completely failed in its responsibility regarding the CTD [compound takeover.”
Asif credited the army for the operation, adding that the provincial government had “no role” in it. “This is a failure of the provincial government there and the failure of nine years.” “It is a total collapse of the KP government,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a brief statement, said that details of the operation will be shared soon.
Late Sunday, the militants held in the CTD centre took control of the building and took a number of law enforcers hostage. They had demanded safe passage to Afghanistan.
Earlier in the day, footage shared across Social Media and main stream TV channels showed plumes of smoke rising in the air from the CTD compound as the operation was under way.
The development comes amid a spate of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Four policemen were martyred when terrorists attacked a police station in Lakki Marwat — a district of Bannu division — on Sunday.
On Monday, an Intelligence Bureau sub-inspector was gunned down in Peshawar, while a suicide attack in North Waziristan claimed the lives of a soldier and two civilians. In Balochistan, back-to-back bombings in Khuzdar injured 20 Monday.
