Pakistan: TTP Militants Kidnap 16 Employees from Atomic Energy Commission; Eight Rescued
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Islamabad, Jan 10 (NationPress) In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has allegedly taken 16 employees of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) hostage. Local authorities promptly commenced a search operation, managing to rescue eight of the captives.
This incident transpired in the Lakki Marwat district, an area frequently affected by militant actions.
The workers were on their way to the Qabul Khel Atomic Energy mining project when they were ambushed by heavily armed militants. After taking the hostages at gunpoint, the assailants set their vehicle ablaze and escaped.
Although local police successfully rescued eight of the hostages, three individuals suffered injuries during the operation, with one in critical condition. Efforts to recover the remaining captives are ongoing.
The TTP has acknowledged involvement in the kidnapping and has released a video showing the abducted workers. In the video, some hostages appealed to authorities for their release by meeting the group’s demands, which reportedly include the release of TTP prisoners from Pakistani jails. Verification of the video and the militants’ claims is still pending.
The abducted individuals were involved in mining operations under the PAEC, an organization dedicated to promoting peaceful nuclear applications in fields such as energy, agriculture, and healthcare.
This event highlights the ongoing risks faced by government and civilian workers in regions often targeted by insurgent factions.
This abduction occurs amid a larger surge of militant activities in Pakistan. Just a day prior, separatist militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) launched an attack in Balochistan, targeting governmental facilities and a bank in a remote area. Although no casualties were reported, the attack underscores the escalating intensity of insurgent operations nationwide.
Pakistani officials assert that both the TTP and Baloch insurgents operate from safe havens in Afghanistan, a claim that has been denied by Kabul. The TTP is categorized as a global terrorist entity by the United Nations and has been described in recent evaluations as Afghanistan's largest militant group, with thousands of fighters active in the region.
