Terrorists take 13 people hostage in Bannu
BANNU: Terrorists allegedly took 13 people hostage on Friday as they were moving to a safer location due to the ongoing tensions between a local peace committee, police and militants in the mountainous Hathikhel area of Wazir subdivision, local sources said. According to sources, the people were stopped while they were transporting their belongings in vehicles to leave the area. The hostages were…
Bannu witnessed a hostage situation on Friday as terrorists allegedly seized 13 individuals while they were attempting to relocate due to escalating tensions between a local peace committee, law enforcement, and militants in the Hathikhel area of Wazir subdivision, according to local reports. The hostages consisted of four brothers - Rehmanullah, Farmanullah, Laiq, and Sadiq; Mir Ali, Mohammad Raziq, Azim Khan, and three unidentified brothers named Sameen, Hamidullah, and Rakhidullah.
Three more individuals remained unidentified. Police have not released an official statement on the matter, but local police sources confirmed the incident. A photograph allegedly depicting the hostages, including Nasir, a local commander from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, has surfaced on social media, although its authenticity and the identities within it have not been independently verified.
Local sources claim that terrorists were attempting to deter residents from leaving and had placed certain restrictions on those seeking to relocate, with some families reportedly having their homes demolished for non-compliance. However, these allegations have not been officially substantiated. The security situation in Hathikhel and surrounding mountainous regions has remained precarious, prompting numerous families to seek refuge in safer areas. Dawn newspaper reported on September 27th, 2026.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
