Terrorists seize police station in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A group of detained terrorists have seized a police station in Bannu city located in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and held interrogators hostage while demanding their safe evacuation to Afghanistan, the media reported on Monday.

Two security personnel were in­­jured in the Bannu standoff that continued till late Sunday evening, reports Dawn news.

However, Special Assistant to KP Chief Minister, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif claimed the situation was "under control" and security forces had started an operation.

The militants, detained at the facility run by Khyber Pakhtun­khwa police's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), managed to break out of the lockups and held security personnel hostage, Dawn reported.

An official source said militants "took over the compound" and fired at the security personnel, injuring a policeman and a soldier.

Police and security forces rushed to the spot and an operation was underway to free the hostages, the source said.

The cantonment area, where the facility was located, has been sealed and the residents have been asked to stay indoors, Dawn reported.

Earlier, sources said that negotiations were underway with the militants while commandos of the Pakistan Army and police were deployed for an operation.

A resident in Bannu said gunshots and explosions were heard in the cantonment area.

Conflicting reports were shared on social media with many users claiming that terrorists had attack­­ed the CTD facility from the outside, Dawn reported.

However, Saif denied such reports and added that some detain­­ed ‘miscreants' had tried to snatch weapons from security personnel.

A video clip also went viral in which allegedly one of the militants was holding a security official at gunpoint.

The alleged militant demanded a "safe passage" to Afghanistan and warned of dire consequences if the demand was not met.

Another alleged militant, whose face was not visible, can be heard saying eight to ten security personnel were in their captivity, Dawn reported.