Pakistan thwarts terrorist siege at army-run cadet college in Wana
Operation continues as security forces kill two terrorists, engage others cornered inside the facility.
Pakistani security forces killed two Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) terrorists as they attempted to take cadets hostage at an army-run college overnight in Wana, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, police said on Tuesday.
A suicide car bomber and five other attackers were involved, according to the authorities.
The TTP is separate from but loosely affiliated with Afghanistan’s Taliban. The group is designated a terrorist organisation by both the United States and the United Nations.
The attack began on Monday evening when the army said the terrorists attempted to breach the security perimetre at Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan, but had to retreat after the Pakistani military responded.
The attackers then rammed the main gate with a vehicle loaded with explosives, damaging the gate and the nearby infrastructure.
According to Alamgir Mahsud, the local police chief, two of the militants were quickly killed by troops on Monday evening, while three militants managed to enter the sprawling compound before being cornered in an administrative block.
“All cadets, instructors and staff remained safe,” Mahsud said, adding that troops deployed at the college prevented the assailants from reaching the main building of the college.
He said dozens of houses near the college were badly damaged by the impact of the massive suicide bombing, which wounded at least 16 civilians.
Pakistan says the terrorists had support from India and handlers in Afghanistan. There was no immediate reaction from India.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have risen in recent months as Islamabad battles TTP terrorists who operate out of sanctuaries in Afghanistan.