RAWALPINDI: The Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said that some 25 terrorists were killed, two arrested and seven surrendered when security forces stormed the Counter-Terrorism Department’s (CTD) compound in Bannu the other day.
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He further said that a junior commissioned officer and two sepoys were martyred while 10 soldiers, including three officers, were injured in the action.
Speaking to a private TV channel, he narrated details as to how the happenings took place at Bannu CTD compound.
Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that on December 18, a detained terrorist overpowered the duty constable, snatched his weapon and freed 34 other terrorists, adding that they grabbed more weapons from the armoury and started firing, killing a CTD constable on the spot and injuring another one, who later succumbed to his wounds in the hospital.
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He said the terrorists took a junior commissioned officer hostage.
“Upon hearing the firing, security forces from Bannu Cantt promptly reached the complex and put the area under siege.”
The DG ISPR said that right after the terrorists occupied the complex on December 18, the security forces killed two of the terrorists and arrested three of them while two security personnel sustained injuries.
He said that while attempts were made over the next two days to convince the terrorists to surrender unconditionally, an effective siege foiled terrorists’ every bid to escape.
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The terrorists had demanded safe passage to Afghanistan, but they were told it was out of the question, he said, adding that on their refusal to surrender, the security forces stormed the complex, killing 25 terrorists in a heavy exchange of fire.
Maj Gen Sharif said that besides three arrests, seven terrorists surrendered, and three sons of the nation — Subedar Major Khursheed Akram, Sepoy Saeed and Sepoy Babar — embraced martyrdom. Ten soldiers, including three officers, were injured.
