Islamist insurgents reportedly grabbed hostages to negotiate with government officials on Sunday after seizing a counterterrorism centre in the Bannu region of northwest Pakistan.
According to Bannu police spokesman Muhammad Naseeb, “it’s not clear if the terrorists assaulted from the outside or if they took the ammunition from workers inside” after their detention.
Security personnel, according to him, had encircled the compound.
Under the condition of anonymity, two further officials claimed that the militants wanted to bargain for safe passage to neighbouring Afghanistan, which is governed by the Taliban, a hardline Islamist group.
According to one, roughly 15 militants overpowered the detention officers inside, grabbed their firearms, and held five or six of them hostage before seizing possession of the facility.
It was not immediately apparent what group the militants belonged to.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has been waging an insurgency in Pakistan.
The TTP is affiliated with the Taliban in Afghanistan, who have been attempting to mediate negotiations between the TTP and the Pakistani government.
An association with the militants in the complex was not immediately confirmed or denied by a TTP official.
