BANNU    -    Under interrogation militants seized a Count­er Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in Bannu district on Sunday and took hostages to ne­gotiate with government authorities, officials said.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Govt Spokesperson said there had been no infiltration in Bannu Canton­ment: Under interrogation militants snatched weapons from the interrogators and released more prisoners who have all been surrounded. The operation will be completed soon

Special Assistant to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Information Barrister Moham­mad Ali Saif said no one had attacked the police station, rather, some suspects in custody under suspicion of terrorism tried to snatch weapons from security personnel deployed on site.

“The situation is under complete control. Securi­ty forces have cordoned off the area,” he said, add­ing that an operation was underway and would be completed in a while. Meanwhile, a senior police officer in Bannu requesting anonymity told me­dia that around 25 arrested members of banned terrorist organisations were under arrest and in­terrogation at the CTD centre when they took the guns from seven security personnel on duty and took them hostage.

“Three policemen injured have been evacuat­ed and transported to a hospital,” the officer said, adding that a number of personnel were still in a hostage situation. MPA Samar Haroon Bilour addressed the situation and said Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa was “on fire”. “Police and civilians are to­tally like sitting ducks. How sad that those who have been ruling here for nine years cannot open their mouths. Those who can’t even condemn can never control that which they have imposed on us,” she said, referring to the PTI government.