Pakistan: TTP militants abduct 16 atomic energy commission workers; eight rescued

In a disturbing development from Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have abducted 16 employees of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). The workers were en route to the Qabul Khel Atomic Energy mining project in Lakki Marwat district when they were ambushed by heavily armed TTP militants.

The attackers seized the workers at gunpoint, set their vehicle on fire, and fled the scene. Local authorities responded swiftly with a search operation, successfully rescuing eight of the hostages. However, three of the freed workers were injured during the rescue, with one in critical condition. Authorities continue efforts to locate and free the remaining captives.

The TTP has taken responsibility for the abduction, releasing a video showing the hostages. In the footage, some workers appeal to authorities, urging them to meet the militants’ demands, which reportedly include the release of TTP prisoners from Pakistani jails. Independent verification of the video and the TTP’s claims is still pending.

The abducted workers were part of PAEC, an organization dedicated to advancing peaceful nuclear applications across sectors such as energy, agriculture, and medicine.

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This latest abduction highlights the ongoing risks faced by government employees and civilians in regions frequently targeted by insurgent groups.

The incident comes amid a broader wave of militant activity across Pakistan, with separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militants launching an assault in Balochistan just a day earlier. The attack targeted government offices and a local bank, though no casualties were reported.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly accused both the TTP and Baloch insurgents of operating from safe havens in Afghanistan, a claim which has been denied by Kabul. The TTP, designated as a global terrorist organization by the United Nations, is currently considered the largest militant group in Afghanistan, with thousands of active fighters.