Pakistan troops storm Islamabad mosque: military

afp ^ | 09/07/2007 | afp

[mdittmar]

Pakistani troops early Tuesday launched a massive operation against a cleric and his armed men in a besieged Islamabad mosque after negotiations failed, a top military official told AFP.

"The troops are now inside the mosque, they are at the roof top," top military spokesman Major General Arshad Waheed told AFP.

"It is a final push to clear the place of armed militants," he said, adding that the militants were putting up stiff resistance.

The talks between the Pakistani government and a cleric holed up with armed men at the mosque failed early Tuesday after he refused to release women and children allegedly held hostage, an official said.

Top government negotiator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain announced the failure after 11 hours of talks, which was followed immediately by heavy firing and two massive blasts.

"After 11 hours of negotiations we are deeply disappointed that the talks did not succeed," he told a news conference near the Red Mosque.

[AdmSmith]

Was it crossfire or a sniper?

[gandalftb]

My understanding is that when he attempted to surrender, 5 jihadis, guarding him, shot him and fired at the advancing commandos. They fired back, there are likely a number of wounds.

[Aquinasfan]

Government and military officials say there are 50 to 60 militants leading the fighting, but most of the others - thought to number around 150 - are women and children.

These guys will get the Profiles in Courage Award from the Religion o' Peace.

[AdmSmith]

Abdul Rashid Ghazi’s last minutes

“army commandos spotted Ghazi and his three guards trying to escape from a breach in the wall created by the army to rescue the women and children held hostage in the Jamia Hafsa compound. Ghazi and his guards were heading towards the nullah /= steep narrow valley (my comment)/ behind the Jamia Hafsa madrassa.

“The commandos chased Ghazi and his guards and the latter took refuge in a room near the breach in the wall. One of Ghazi’s guards, an Uzbek, fired on a commando who was trying to take a look inside the room. The militant’s bullet missed the commando, who retaliated, killing all the four men inside,” said the source.”

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007/07/14/story_14-7-2007_pg1_9

[AdmSmith]

The phase shift among the Pakistani politicians to position themselves for the coming new Musharraf-Bhutto alliance.

Former adviser to CM defects to PPP
Takes with him 25 Bahawalnagar UC nazims, PML ticket holder. PML ticket holder from Lahore, Raiwind PML office-bearers also defect to PPP. Shah Mehmood doubts APDM /All Pakistan Democratic Movement =the grand opposition alliance/ will be successful.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\07\14\story_14-7-2007_pg13_2

[Saberwielder]

That report sounds like BS planted by the ISI. To date, I ain't seen no Uzbek body and as such most of the terrorists killed in Pakistan are Pakistanis - Punjabis or Pashtuns. This Ghazi fella was just an ISI asset gone bad and they want to cover up the breadcrumbs leading back to ISI HQ. There's no other logical explanation for how a small army established itself in a compound less than half a mile from ISI HQ.

As a rule, I roll my eyes whenever I hear Pakistanis claim "Uzbek" or "Chechen" terrorist kills.

[AdmSmith]

This part of the article is definitely Bravo Sierra, trying to blame India:

"It is learnt that the security forces also found a partially burnt passport of a neighbouring country during the combing operation of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid. The passport has become the focus of attention for the intelligence agencies since the neighbouring country has a history of targeting jihadi organizations, the source added. The source said the foreign passport was found from Ghazi’s belongings and has been sent to an intelligence agency for further investigation. The presence of the foreign passport in the residence of the late madrassa leader had left senior intelligence officials wondering if secret agents of the "enemy state" had penetrated into jihadi organisations."

[AdmSmith]

According to Bahukutumbi Raman Uzbek’s were indeed at the scene:

10. According to independent and reliable police sources, there were not more than 15 non-Afghan foreigners inside. Of these, three were the armed Uzbeck bodyguards of Abdul Rashid Ghazi, the deputy chief of the masjid, who was killed along with his bodyguards. The remaining 12 were Uighur students - boys and girls- who had surrendered, but were allegedly killed by the Army.

http://www.saag.org/papers23/paper2300.html

[AdmSmith]

However, the picture at #281 indicates that he was shot at short distance, check the powder burns around the bullet hole. Are any other pictures posted?

[Saberwielder]

Ah. Thanks. The Uighur connection makes more sense as well because the Red Mosque guys went after Chinese nationals in a big way.