Three killed, one injured in Miranshah suicide blast: ISPR

At least three people including a Pakistan Army soldier were killed while another person was injured as a result of a suicide blast near a security forces vehicle in Miranshah, North Waziristan, the military’s media affairs wing said on Monday.

“On 19 December 2022, a suicide blast occurred in the general area of Miranshah, North Waziristan District. Resultantly, Naik Abid (age 33 years, resident of Mansehra) and 2 civilians embraced, martyrdom while one civilian was injured in the incident,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The injured individual was shifted to DHQ Miranshah Hospital and the blast site was cordoned off by security officials and an investigation was initiated.

The development comes a day after a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa came under militant attack in Bannu, leading to a fierce exchange of fire that resulted in the martyrdom of at least four policemen and injuries to as many, officials said on Sunday.

More than 30 members of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been holding several officers hostage after breaking free from custody and seizing a police station, officials said. The militants had overpowered their jailers on Sunday and snatched weapons.

They took hostages to negotiate with government authorities, officials said. They fired at security personnel, injuring a policeman and a soldier.

Reports suggest negotiations have started amid the ongoing operation to clear the centre, Aaj News reported.

A video posted on social media, which the government official confirmed to be from the scene, showed a group of armed men, with one threatening to kill all the hostages.

"During the interrogation, some of them snatched guns from the policemen and later took the entire staff hostage," he told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

"They want us to provide them safe passage via a ground route or by air. They want to take all the hostages with them and to release them later on the Afghan border or inside Afghanistan."

“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 the other hand, the KP government has warned of strict actions as the hostage situation continued hours after the attack.

Reports suggest negotiations were underway in Afghanistan amid the ongoing operation to clear the center.