18 scientists kidnapped, uranium also looted, nuclear bombs likely in hands of terrorists

Lahore (Team Newsbuddy): The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has allegedly kidnapped 16 employees and scientists of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The local police immediately launched a search operation and successfully rescued eight hostages.

Heavily armed terrorists ambushed the employees going to work at the Kabul Khel nuclear power mining project. After taking people hostage at gunpoint, the attackers set their vehicle on fire and fled from the spot. The local police rescued eight hostages. However, three of the freed people were injured during the operation, one of whom is in critical condition. Efforts are on to rescue the remaining hostages.

The TTP has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and released a video of the kidnapped workers. In the footage, some of the hostages appealed to the authorities to ensure their release by complying with the group’s demands, which reportedly include the release of TTP prisoners held in Pakistani jails. Independent verification of the video or the militants’ claims is pending. It is also being claimed that the militants have also looted uranium.

The kidnapped workers were engaged in mining projects under PAEC, an organisation focused on advancing peaceful nuclear applications in sectors such as energy, agriculture and medicine. The kidnapping came amid a series of terrorist activities in Pakistan. Just a day earlier, separatist militants of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) carried out an attack in Balochistan, targeting government offices and a bank in a remote district. Though no casualties were reported, the attack reflects the growing intensity of insurgent operations across the country.

Pakistani authorities allege that the TTP and Baloch insurgents operate from sanctuaries in Afghanistan. Kabul denies the charge. The TTP, designated a global terrorist organisation by the United Nations, has been described in recent assessments as Afghanistan’s largest militant group, with thousands of fighters operating in the region.