Pak Troops gets Lal Masjid cleared, 50 militants killed
MIL/Agencies, Jul 10, 2007.
Islamabad, Pakistan: July 10, 2007 (Tuesday) - Pak troops launched a comprehensive attack on the Lal Masjid complex here early this morning between 00.10 and 4 A.M. after their talks failed with radicals to end the week-long confrontation. The mosque has been cleared but fighting is still going on in the compound of Madrasa.
The military action caused heavy causalities of militants not less than 50 and the militants killed 8 security personnel in the long gun battle. The militants were armed with machine guns, rocket launchers, hand grenades and petrol bombs.
The commandos surrounded the Lal Masjid where 150 innocent people were held as hostages. The Security forces saved 20 children at the outset of the operation. Fierce fighting went on for about four hours in the compound where hundreds of women and children were present and seeing the fierce gun battle.
Deputy Administrator of the Masjid Abdul Rashid Ghazi and his supporters took shelters in the bunkers built in the basement. Though mosque has been cleared but fighting in the other part of madrasa is still going on.
When the explosion started rocking the complex of the besieged mosque, Ghazi spoke briefly to TV channels and blamed the government for failure to end the confrontation, which could be solved by negotiation.
| 
