COAS visits CMH, meets officers, soldiers injured during Bannu operation: ISPR

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir on Wednesday visited Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Rawalpindi and met officers and soldiers who got injured during a military operation at a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) centre in Bannu, the military's media wing said.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said: "COAS remained with them [injured soldiers and officers] for some time and inquired about their well-being."

"COAS appreciated their high spirit and morale and lauded their professionalism during an operation against terrorists," the press release added.

On Tuesday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that all terrorists” of the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who held hostages at a CTD centre in Bannu were killed in an operation conducted by the Pakistan Army.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the defence minister said two commandos of the army’s Special Service Group (SSG) embraced martyrdom, while 15 others received bullet injuries.

He expressed concerns over the CTD unit's failure to cope with the threat of terrorism, saying the chief minister of the province was "held hostage" in Zaman Park, while the terrorism threat was on the rise in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The unfortunate aspect of this is that terrorism is again making strides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. [Terrorism] incidents have taken place in other provinces as well but there is clear evidence that terrorists from across the border or locally are rising again [in KP and Balochistan]."

On Sunday, more than 30 members of the outlawed TTP held several officers hostages after breaking free from custody and seizing a police station in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials said. The militants had overpowered their jailers and snatched weapons.