Posted on 07/09/2007 5:26:04 PM PDT by 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.
PA officer: ALHAMDULILLAH- INAALILAHU-WARAGAUM (FOR ALL BRAVE FALLEN SOLIERS)
29 Mujahids have been wounded. 5-6 dead.
Showing a triage list, many bullet injuries, blunt trauma, many PA choppered to Rawalpindi. NOw: lots of white smoke/steam. Probably firefighters are able to enter compund to put out fires. At least 60 empty gurnies waiting in triage.
there were 2 spec op teams, one to attack mujahid and one to secure hostages.
Gas was used in the operation
50 Militants have been killed.
Small arms fire has resumed.
Now more black smoke, white steam gone, small arms fire.
Human Shields Escape Pakistan Mosque
http://tammybruce.com/2007/07/human_shields_escape.php
Those human shields, btw, are children.
The world should have a rule: if you’re inside a so-called “holy building” but you have guns, are holding children as human shields, and have threatened to kill people, the “holy” part of that building is null and void. Just an idea.
Oh, and the “cleric” in charge of the terror was also using his own mother as a shield. As one would expect, she’s dead and he’s not. Surprise.
Children run for life from radical mosque in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, July 10 (Xinhua) — Some 20 children escaped from the compound of a radical mosque in the Pakistani capital Tuesday during firing between the militants in the mosque and security forces, the military said.
“Twenty children have managed to escape during the fire. An intense engagement is going on with the militants,” said military spokesman Major-General Waheed Arshad.
A major operation was launched early Tuesday against the hardline militants in the defiant Lal Masjid mosque in the Pakistani capital after failure of talks, the military said.
Loud explosions were heard after the operation launched. Children running out of the mosque are with the troops now, local TV quoted the military as saying. Maulana Adbul Rasheed Ghazi, the defiant cleric still inside the mosque, claimed that his mother was killed in the operation.
Mujahid in basment of Jamia Hafsa. willing to fight till death. a warning has been given again
Ghazi is not arrested, just made another call, claiming many hostages, may flood the basement with water, fire fighters in the compound
If the hostages are out it’s time to back off and bring in the bombers. Then the bulldozers. Then one last appeal for surrender. In that order.
pumping gas into the basement of Jamia Hafsa, 75% secured, steady small arms fire
2 minute time out, call for surrender
English news conference on AAJ now
3 years after his boys dragged charred American bodies through the streets, I am still waiting for Bush to order us into Al Sadr’s mosque and kill him.
PA commander: resistance continues in basement, 40 militants killed, 24 captured, no info on ghazi, 20children escaped, minarets are not cleared yet, many hand grenades, militants well trained,
Unable to find women hostages. At least 100 women, mainly school girls were known to be inside.
Great news to go along with the successes of the surge in Iraq.
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