Top cleric holed up, using women as human shield

New Delhi: The gunbattle at Islamabad's Lal Masjid is drawing to a close after Pakistani forces stormed the pro-Taliban mosque to flush out the militants, killing up to 50 of them and injuring many others.

However, the deputy administrator of the mosque, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, is still putting up a tough resistance using women and children as human shields.

Ghazi, the brother of captured head of the mosque, Maulana Abdul Aziz, had earlier vowed never to surrender to the Pakistani troops. The top cleric has been holed up in the basement of the mosque and the Pakistani troops have been trying to convince him to surrender.

The Army launched 'Operation Silence' at 0400 hrs IST after last-ditch talks with Ghazi to end the week-long standoff failed as he demanded special deal for foreign militants.

At least four soldiers were killed, according to Interior Minister Ahmed Aftab Khan Sherpao. But these were initial casualty reports and the assault to end a week-long standoff at Lal Masjid was still in progress nearly nine hours after it began.

With more than two-thirds of the Lal Masjid mosque-school complex secured, commandos leading the assault had yet to find the hundreds of women and children believed to have been there.

Nearly 30 loud blasts rocked the heart of Islamabad for an hour beginning at around 0930 hours IST and another series of explosions after noon.

There were fears the militants might resort to suicide bombs. Officials said on Monday militants had distributed suicide vests.

Heavy loss of life among women and children could have serious repercussions for President Pervez Musharraf, who had been under pressure to confront the militants for some time.

In the first hours, the militants put up strong resistance with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. Soldiers came under fire from the minarets as they overran the mosque at the beginning, allowing 20 children to escape.

After clearing the mosque, commandos backed by paramilitary troops swept resistance from the rooftop of the madrassa and worked their way down through the two-storey building.

Explosions and sustained gunfire had erupted before dawn, immediately after talks to end a week-long standoff broke down. Thick smoke shrouded the compound that had been surrounded by troops since clashes with armed students broke out on July 3.

The Lal Masjid clerics and students are known for their support for Afghanistan's Taliban and opposition to Musharraf's backing for the United States.

(With agency inputs)