Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), often known as Pakistan's "twin Taliban," is on the rampage in Pakistan's northwest province, as the administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a region bordering Afghanistan, has lost up, unable to stop the terrorist outfit.

Pakistan has seen the bloodiest attacks since the TTP began its activity following the Taliban's march on Kabul in 2021. Since its institution in 2007, the TTP, which has the same strict beliefs as the Taliban in Afghanistan, has carried out hundreds of attacks and killed thousands of people, mostly from the police and the military.

Cease-fire

When the TTP's attacks on security forces became more frequent earlier this year, the government sought the support of the Afghan Taliban in reaching a cease-fire deal with the TTP. In June, Afghanistan's new Taliban leadership played a key role in brokering a peace pact with the Pakistani Taliban. The uneasy truce, however, made little progress, and there were numerous violations on both sides.

Last month, the TTP ended the five-month cease-fire agreement with Pakistani authorities on its own and told its militants to start launching terrorist attacks again all over the country.

While calling off the ceasefire, the terrorist TTP condemned the Pakistani army for betraying their trust by ramping up operations against its operatives in inhospitable, secluded areas of the northwest tribal region, leaving them with little alternative but to call it off. Since the Pakistani Taliban resumed attacks on security forces with the TTP leadership winking at their operatives to keep attacking security forces, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has seen an uptick in terrorist assaults.

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Latest assault

In one of the biggest terrorist attacks since the cease-fire agreement expired last month, the TTP in the Bannu district of the KP province grabbed hold of a police station on Sunday, December 18, and held the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials hostage. A Pakistani army commissioned officer has reportedly also been detained. According to eyewitness accounts, over 30 TTP activists who were detained by the CTD police had overpowered the police officials, snatched their weapons, and released their fighters who had been brought in for questioning. The terrorists were demanding safe passage to the mountains in North Waziristan, a sanctuary for the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban while holding 15 to 20 police officers in custody. They were shown holding police officers at gunpoint in a video released later by Taliban fighters from inside the CTD facility.

Since Sunday, when police and security forces roped off the whole district and ordered residents to stay inside, the situation in Bannu has been tense. Mobile phone and internet services in the area were disconnected. The local government started a negotiation with the militants, but despite the passage of three days, there was no progress. Pakistani officials have begun negotiations with the TTP's Afghan leadership to free hostages and end a standoff with the TTP, which is holding more than a dozen security officers in captivity.

Bloody end

Pakistani officials confirmed on Tuesday, December 20, that the army's Special Service Group (SSG) began a rescue mission early in the morning. At least 25 terrorists were killed, three were apprehended, and seven surrendered in the operation. According to Pakistan's Defense Minister Khwaja Asif, the Pakistan Army killed all of the terrorists from the proscribed TTP who had taken hostages at the CTD center in Bannu.

General Sharif, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan army's mouthpiece, later told the media that the terrorists were demanding safe passage to Afghanistan. He stated that this proposal was "totally refused" since they sought safe passage to Afghanistan. He revealed that the terrorists were not willing to hand over their weapons, so the troops launched an offensive on the CTD complex, which resulted in a severe exchange of fire and the clearing of rooms. He further revealed that three security officers were killed and ten others were injured during the operation.

Earlier that same day, as TTP members tried to free the people in the Bannu CTD walled office, their foot soldiers attacked a police station with rockets and grenades in the Lakki Marwat area, which borders the South Waziristan tribal territory. Four officers were killed and many more were hurt.

In yet another incident, a TTP’s suicide attacker hit a security forces vehicle in North Waziristan's Miranshah district on Monday, killing at least three people, including a Pakistan army soldier. According to the ISPR, a civilian was also injured in the attack.

UN warned Afghanistan

The gravity of terrorist attacks in Pakistan has compelled the United Nations to intervene, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging the Afghan Taliban on Monday to prevent terrorist organizations from striking Pakistan or any other neighboring country from Afghan territory. He stated that the UN was in talks with the de facto authorities about this.

"We believe it is critical for the Taliban not to allow any form of terrorist activity that could have an impact on Pakistan or any other country in the region," the UN chief said in response to a reporter's question about the TTP's increased cross-border terrorist attacks against Pakistan, which have resulted in many casualties.

US Reaction

The US reacted immediately to the escalating terrorist operations in Pakistan, and the State Department pledged its unshakable support to Pakistan in its battle against the TTP and other similar groups on Monday. According to State Department spokesperson Ned Price, the two countries share a common goal in combating terrorism. He made these remarks during a press conference hours after Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari landed in Washington for talks with US officials.