13 people taken hostage in Bannu's Hathi Khel as residents flee militant tensions

Thirteen people were allegedly taken hostage by militants in the Hathi Khel area of Bannu’s Wazir subdivision on Friday, as residents tried to move to safer ground amid escalating tensions between a local peace committee, police and militants.

According to local sources cited by Dawn, the group was intercepted while transporting household belongings in vehicles out of the area. The hostages were identified as four brothers — Rehmanullah, Farmanullah, Laiq and Sadiq — as well as Mir Ali, Mohammad Raziq, Azim Khan, and three brothers, Sameen, Hamidullah and Rakhidullah. Three others could not be identified.

Police have issued no official statement on the incident, but police sources privately confirmed the hostage-taking to both Dawn and the Express Tribune.

A photograph purportedly showing the captives has circulated on social media and appears to include Nasir alias Gidarh, a local commander of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Neither the photograph nor the identities of those depicted in it could be independently verified.

Local sources said militants were trying to prevent residents from leaving Hathi Khel and had imposed conditions on families seeking to relocate; some households that failed to comply allegedly had their houses demolished. Those claims could not be officially confirmed.

Several families have reportedly moved to safer locations in recent days amid fears of further violence.

Sources

• Dawn — “Terrorists take 13 people hostage in Bannu”: https://www.dawn.com/news/2032915/terrorists-take-13-people-hostage-in-bannu
• Express Tribune — “13 held hostage by terrorists in Hathi Khel”: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2631640/13-held-hostage-by-terrorists-in-hathi-khel