Washington ‘ready to assist’ Pakistan with TTP threats: US State Dept

The US has said that it stands ready to assist Pakistan in its battle against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying that Islamabad is a partner when it comes to shared challenges.

On Sunday, more than 30 members of the outlawed TTP held several officers hostage after breaking free from custody and seizing a police station in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials said. The militants had overpowered their jailers and snatched weapons.

They took hostages to negotiate with government authorities, officials said. They fired at security personnel, injuring a policeman and a soldier.

Bannu CTD: situation remains tense as militants seize counter-terrorism centre

A video posted on social media, which the government official confirmed to be from the scene, showed a group of armed men, with one threatening to kill all the hostages.

"During the interrogation, some of them snatched guns from the policemen and later took the entire staff hostage," he told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

"They want us to provide them safe passage via a ground route or by air. They want to take all the hostages with them and to release them later on the Afghan border or inside Afghanistan."

During a press briefing, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said Washington is aware of the ongoing situation in Pakistan, offering his condolences to those injured.

"We urge those responsible for the attack to cease all acts of violence, to safely release those who remain hostage, and to end the seizure of the counterterrorism center," he said.

"But the broader point is that the Government of Pakistan is a partner when it comes to these shared challenges, including the challenge of terrorist groups – terrorist groups inside of Afghanistan, terrorist groups along the Afghan-Pakistan border."

Hostage talks start

Pakistani authorities on Monday opened talks to try to resolve the stand-off with the militants who were holding security personnel hostage.

"We are in negotiations with the central leaders of the Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Ali Saif, a spokesman for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government.

Hostage talks start after TTP militants seize interrogators

He said the authorities were yet to receive a response from the TTP, adding that relatives of the militants and local tribal elders had also been involved in starting talks.

US sees importance of maintaining partnerships with India, Pakistan

Meanwhile, the State Department spokesperson was also asked to comment on the recent remarks by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In his address at the United Nations, Bilawal had described Modi as the “butcher of Gujarat".

“Narendra Modi was banned from entering this country (the United States). These are the prime minister and foreign minister of RSS, which draws inspiration from Hitler’s SS,” the FM had said.

Following his remarks, the Indian government criticised Bilawal’s statement, saying that Pakistan “lacked the credentials to cast aspersions at India”.

"We have a global strategic partnership with India. I have just spoken to the depth of our partnership with Pakistan. These relationships stand on their own; it is not zero-sum," Price replied.

He further said that the US sees the importance of maintaining these valuable partnerships with our Indian and our Pakistani friends, adding that where "we have disagreements or concerns, we voice those just as we would with our Pakistani friends as well".