Bannu — Margalla News: A fresh report says 13 people are being held hostage by armed men in the Hathi Khel area of Bannu, while a tense standoff continues involving a local peace committee, police and militants described in the report as linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
According to an Express Tribune update published on September 27, the 13 people remain in captivity and the local security situation is tense.
The report attributes the armed men to the TTP. At this stage, however, the figure of 13 hostages and the precise organisational affiliation of those holding them have not been fully corroborated by independent reporting, so those details are presented as reported claims.
Some local families have also reportedly left their homes because of the continuing insecurity.
A day earlier, Dawn separately reported rising militancy in Hathi Khel and nearby semi-tribal areas, clashes involving the local peace committee, and families relocating because of insecurity.
This is a new development in the same incident first reported on September 25, when 13 members of the Hathi Khel peace committee were said to have been abducted. The situation remains developing and further official or independent corroboration is pending.