13 held hostage by terrorists in Hathi Khel

Local residents have begun abandoning the mountainous Hathi Khel area of Wazir subdivision in Bannu as tensions escalate between a local peace committee, police and terrorists, with sources confirming on Saturday that 13 people were allegedly seized as hostages while trying to reach safer ground. According to local sources, the group was intercepted as they transported household belongings in vehicles out of the area. The militants stopped the convoy and took the travellers captive, sources said. Those identified so far include Rehmanullah, Farmanullah, Laiq and Sadiq, sons of Shahabuddin; Mir Ali, son of Hazrat Ali; Muhammad Raziq; Azim Khan, son of Hamblis Khan; and Sameen, Hamidullah and Rakhidullah, sons of Shereen Gul. Three others remain unidentified. Police have issued no official statement on the incident. Responsible police sources, however, privately confirmed that the reported hostage-taking had occurred. A photograph purporting to show the captives has circulated widely on social media. The image also appears to include Nasir alias Gidarh, a local commander of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Neither the photograph nor the identities of those depicted in it could be independently verified. Sources said the militants were actively trying to prevent residents from leaving Hathi Khel and had imposed specific conditions on families seeking to relocate. Some households that failed to meet those conditions allegedly had their houses demolished. These claims have not been officially confirmed by authorities. The broader security situation in Hathi Khel and the surrounding mountainous terrain has grown increasingly difficult for civilians. Several families have already moved to safer locations in recent days, citing fear of further violence and restrictions on movement. Residents describe a climate of uncertainty in which ordinary travel and the simple act of packing up a household can expose people to risk. Local accounts suggest the standoff involves competing claims of control and enforcement between the peace committee, security forces and armed militants. The presence of a known TTP figure in the circulating image has heightened concern among those still in the area. Yet without an official police briefing or independent confirmation, many details remain provisional. For now, the exodus continues. Families load what belongings they can into vehicles and attempt to leave under conditions that sources describe as fraught. Those who remain face the dual pressures of insecurity and the militants' reported efforts to keep residents in place. The 13 alleged hostages stand as the most concrete illustration yet of the human cost of the present tensions. As of Saturday evening, no further information had emerged on the condition or whereabouts of the captives. Appeals for an official clarification from police and other authorities have so far gone unanswered. Residents and local observers continue to monitor developments closely, aware that any misstep in the fragile environment of Hathi Khel can quickly escalate.