Pakistani Taliban overpower guards, seize police center

By RIAZ KHAN and MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani officials say several Pakistani Taliban detainees overpowered their guards at a counter-terrorism center in the country’s northwest, snatching police weapons, taking hostages and seizing control of the facility. Officials confirmed on Monday that one officer was killed during the takeover at the center in Bannu, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and part of a former tribal region. They say the incident, which started late on Sunday, quickly evolved into a standoff that was still underway 12 hours later. Troops and special forces were deployed to the area as authorities negotiated with the hostage-takers. The Pakistani Taliban — an ally of the Afghan Taliban — were demanding safe passage to militant havens for their fighters.