Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the director-general of ISPR, while sharing details of clearance operation with a private TV channel, added that two soldiers embraced martyrdom and ten people including three officers were maimed during the operation. Three snuffies were arrested during the operation while another seven surrendered themselves, he said.
According to the military front man, the forces of Evil who overpowered prison officials, seized their weapons and demanded a safe passage to neighbouring Afghanistan. He revealed that the negotiations with them lasted for over 48 hours before the operation began to flush them out of the compound. "We are determined to root out terrorism and will not hesitate to make any sacrifice in the fight against terrorism," he added. Official sources told APP that the operation conducted by the Special Services Group of Pakistain Army (SSG) was started at 12:30pm on Tuesday after the snuffies refused to set free the hostage staff of CTD.
The SSG commandos cleared the compound at 2:30pm after two hours of operation and killed 25 snuffies inside the centre. The sources said that 10 SSG jawans including an officer sustained injuries while two embraced martyrdom. On Sunday, the forces of Evil made hostage the staff at CTD centre after one of the outlaw snatched a rifle from its staffer after hitting him on head with the brick.
There were reports that the arrested forces of Evil were demanding a safe airlift to Afghanistan along with their detained accomplices in return for the release of the hostage staff. Prior of the operation, the emergency was imposed in all three major hospitals of Bannu, while the local administration as a precautionary measure had closed educational institutions. The people in the vicinity were asked to remain indoors and traffic in the area was also suspended.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said that the Special Services Group (SSG) had completed the operation against snuffies at Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Centre Bannu, recovering all hostages and killing all members of the outlaw organization. Sharing details of the operation conducted by security forces against murderous Moslems, who besieged the CTD center in Bannu, the minister informed the joint sitting of the parliament that all snuffies had been killed and the compound had been cleared at 2:30 pm on Tuesday. He said that the operation started at 12:30 pm on December 20 and concluded at 2:30 pm. He added around 10 to 15 SSG jawans including one officer received injuries while two embraced Shahadat. The situation emerged after an arrested murderous Moslem overpowered staff, snatched a rifle and later held hostages inside the CTD centre in Bannu, he added. Khawaja Asif said, "All the snuffies who had taken hostages at CTD centre in Bannu were killed during the operation of security forces."
He said that the chief minister KPK and CTD department which is responsible for countering terrorism in the province were actually hostages of Imran Khan
...aka The Great Khan, who ain't the sharpest bulb on the national tree...
as his government did nothing during last nine years even in floods and other untoward situations. The minister said that this incident is again an utter failure of Imran Khan’s government in KPK and added that again Pakistain Army played its role.
| VOA adds: |
Noor Wali Mehsud,
| ...The Fightin’ Pashtun from Waziristan who swore allegiance to the Afghan Taliban... |
...mindless ferocity in a turban...or TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain), issued the statement from his shelter in Afghanistan, raising renewed doubts about the sincerity of counterterrorism pledges by the neighboring country’s Islamist Taliban leadership.
"I congratulate you for carrying out this sacred act. I instruct you not to surrender to these infidels and apostates under any circumstances," Mehsud said.
The TTP released the local Pashto language audio message just hours before Mighty Pak Army commandos launched an operation and rescued the hostages from the compound in the northwestern garrison city of Bannu.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, while sharing details with an evening session of parliament in Islamabad, said the counterterrorism center had housed "33 terrorists" when the siege started in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.