20 militants killed in Lal Masjid operation

By Xinhua

Islamabad : At least 20 militants were killed as Pakistani special forces stormed the besieged Lal Masjid here early Tuesday following failed negotiations overnight between authorities and the holed up radical Islamists.


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Three soldiers of the elite special forces were also killed and nine wounded in the "Operation Silence".

The security forces are patrolling and reporters have been asked to stay away from the mosque area.

More and more casualties are being taken to hospitals in the capital and the death toll is expected to rise, according to TV reports.

Several ambulances are waiting at the mosque area and three hospitals are on standby.

The militants in the mosque are holed up in a basement. Gunship helicopters Tuesday morning arrived at the mosque to back group troops and the operation may last three to four hours, a TV channel reported.

DPA adds: The leader of the militants, hard-line cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi, remained defiant after hours of heavy fighting.

"This is my last chance to say anything, and I would like to say that we fought with courage. We were asked to bow, but we refused to do so," Ghazi told Aaj news channel. "We will die but the people will take revenge from the rulers."

He said that around 25 warriors, armed with 14 AK-47 rifles, were resisting the special forces, which were being backed by around 12,000 military and paramilitary troops.

Ghazi said some bullets had hit his mother, who was taking her last breaths.

The storm operation came as negotiations to resolve the standoff Monday and a reported last-ditch effort Tuesday morning had failed.

Security forces have been engaged in a weeklong gun-battle with the entrenched extremist Islamic students.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf had approved talks with the extremists Monday, amid fears that a high number of casualties in a possible storm operation could cause the loss of public support he has won through his firm stance against extremism.

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