Posted on 07/10/2007 9:53:59 PM PDT by Ghayyour
Pakistan's army says an operation to flush out militants from a mosque in Islamabad is in its final stages - 24 hours after troops stormed the complex. Several explosions were heard after dawn on Wednesday and sporadic gunfire.
During heavy fighting on Tuesday, the Red Mosque's militant cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi and some 50 of his supporters were killed, the army said.
Students at the mosque and its attached religious schools have waged a campaign for months pressing for Sharia law.
On Tuesday, eight soldiers also died, and some 50 women and children were freed.
Pakistan's military spokesman Gen Waheed Arshad said the battle had progressed slowly because the army was anxious to avoid casualties among the unknown number of women and children in the basement.
The few remaining militants are believed to be holed up in the private quarters of Mr Ghazi.
Public anger in the capital had been mounting after they kidnapped policemen as well as people they considered to be involved in immoral, un-Islamic activities.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
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