The counter-terrorism department (CTD) in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was cleared by security forces in a drawn-out operation on Tuesday “without any collateral damage”. It was completed in 20 minutes.

“All hostages have been freed,” said a CTD statement.

Defence Minister Khawaja confirmed the same to the Natioanl Assembly earlier today, saying that 33 terrorists were under arrest at the CTD compound in Bannu when one of them managed to grab a gun after hitting one of the law enforcers in the head with a brick.

It resulted in a seige that began Sunday night, with the militants threatening bloodshed unless they were given safe passage to Afghanistan.

The defence minister said that a unit of the army’s Special Service Group (SSG) carried out the operation. Two commandoes were martyred in the operation and another 10-15 were injured, who have since been evacuated to a medical facility.

“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 Inter-Services Public Relations also confirmed the same in a press release later in the day.

How it unfolded

The special operations Anti-Terrorism Unit of the Pakistan Army’s SSG, the Zarrar Company, had conducted a hostage rescue operation at the CTD compound opposite the Bannu Cantonment gate.

The operation began at 12:25pm, when the security forces breached the gate of the building with explosives, and subsequently entered inside. “At the beginning of the operation, all but one hostage ran out of the compound as the firefight began and were infiltrated from a previously known back entrance in the compound.”

It claimed to have killed at least 10 terrorists, with no deaths on the Pakistani side. A further three terrorists were captured. According to the government, there were more than 30 terrorists inside the compound.

“Five SSG operatives were slightly injured and have been medevaced [shifted] to a military hospital in stable condition.” The wounded officers included Major Abid Zaman, who led the operation, belonging to the Zarrar Company, Special Service Group. “Pakistan Army Aviation manned and unmanned units assisted in the successful anti-terrorist operation.”

Video of the operation showed smoke billowing from the building.

When asked about the Bannu incident during a press conference in Islamabad, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif alleged that the provincial government has been oblivious to the whole incident. He added that it unveiled the capacity of the CTD.

“Ultimately, the army arrived there, however, it arrived there the night before yesterday, SSG. And they completed the operation. The disagreement started to appear between terrorists last night the night before yesterday on whether to keep any hostage or not.”

He added that the ISPR and the government would give a statement on it. To a query, he said that the internal situation in Afghanistan was spilling over into Pakistan, adding that operations would continue.

Asif hailed people taking to the streets against the militants in Swat, KP, and other areas. “It did not happen before.”

Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the army has taken over the control of the security, along with the police and CTD members, of the area. “The army, apart from police and CTD, in Bannu has taken the control of all the matters and led this,” he told reporters in response to a query on the siege of the facility. However, Asif maintained caution while speaking about it.

“I am right now speaking in a more cautious way. I don’t want to say anything that can affect our efforts there.”

The district’s deputy commissioner announced schools would close on Tuesday and an emergency was declared in all hospitals of the Medical Teaching Institution, Bannu.

“No employee of KGNTH, DHQTH and W&CTH is to proceed on leave except in extreme emergency and that too with the approval of Dean, Medical Director, Hospital Director and Nursing Director,” said the notification.

The men, held on suspicion of terrorism, have demanded safe passage to Afghanistan in return for releasing at least eight police officers and military intelligence officials, said Muhammad Ali Saif, a spokesman for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

“We fear that the Taliban could enter any school in the suburbs and take the students hostage. We are not taking any risks and that’s why we decided to close the schools for today,” a senior government official in the district, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

The police station is within a cantonment area in Bannu, in the country’s formerly self-governed tribal areas and near the border with Afghanistan.

Offices and roads have closed and checkpoints have been set up around the area.

Pakistani officials have asked the government in Kabul to help with the release of the hostages, the senior government official told AFP.

The outlawed TTP said its members were behind the incident and demanded authorities provide them safe passage to border areas.

The banned outfit emerged in 2007 and carried out a horrific wave of violence in Pakistan that was largely crushed after a military operation beginning in 2014.

However, attacks are on the rise again since the Afghan Taliban seized control of Kabul last year, with most targeting security forces.

A shaky months-long ceasefire between the TTP and Islamabad ended last month.

How terrorists seized the facility?

According to Asif, more than 30 terrorists were detained in the facility. His version of the incident is as follows:

• One of the terrorists while going to the washroom hit the santri, who was along with him for security, with a stone and snatched his weapon.
• That santri was killed after the assault
• Later terrorists seized the compound

“I will give a detailed statement on this,” the defence minister said.

Around 30 suspected militants, who were detained at the CTD facility, took over the compound after snatching guns from the policemen, initial reports said. At least three personnel were injured when the terrorists opened fire.

They are reported to have taken around 10 staff members hostage in an attempt to demand safe evacuation to Afghanistan, said the CTD source. Two other officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, corroborated the information that the militants were looking to negotiate safe passage to Afghanistan. The affiliation of the militants was not immediately known.

“It’s not clear if the terrorists attacked from outside, or if they snatched the ammunition from staff inside while being interrogated following their arrest,” Bannu police spokesman Muhammad Naseeb told Reuters on Sunday. He said the compound had been surrounded by security forces.

A video that surfaced on social media shows armed men in shalwar kameez speaking “Banuchi”—the local accent of Pashtu spoken in the district—then Urdu, giving the impression that they are not from Afghanistan.

Twelve Rescue 1122 ambulances have been rushed to the cantonment. A public holiday was declared today (Monday) for all offices and schools within Bannu Cantt and the district administration and courts are also closed.

Given the sensitivity of the unfolding events, we have withheld the names of Aaj News reporters and security personnel and details of casualties. This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.