Free Republic

The bullet-riddled walls and roofs of the Red Mosque's interior tell the story of a fierce battle. The mosque, located in a central district of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, was stormed by troops two days ago to clear out Islamic militants holed up inside. The government says 10 soldiers, one policeman and 75 militants were killed in the fighting and the week-long standoff that preceded the final assault. For six months, the halls and rooms of Jamia Hafsa, a women's seminary inside the mosque, were home to a new breed of Islamic hardliners - women clad from head to toe...

'I Hoped To Be A Glorious Martyr' A woman who was inside Islamabad's Red Mosque when it was stormed by Pakistani troops on 10 July has given the BBC one of the first accounts of the final hours of the siege. Unwilling to be named, the survivor said she was not held hostage by militants inside. More than 100 people died in the army operation - she was one of only 30 women to walk out alive after soldiers went in. Following are excerpts from the interview with Rafia Riaz of the BBC's Urdu service. ..."They asked me to come...