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Vast areas of radical mosque cleared: Pak military |
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09:46, July 10, 2007 |
Vast areas of a defiant mosque in the Pakistani capital were cleared Tuesday after major operation, military said.
Militants are now holed up in the basement of the Lal Masjid mosque, said military spokesman Major-General Waheed Arshad.
Special forces were leading the operation and the militants inside the Lal Masjid mosque used small arms, grenades and petrol bombs in rebellion, according to local TV reports.
Dozens of ambulances are waiting outside the mosque to provide urgent medical treatment.
According to latest figures, three security men were killed and nine others wounded.
As for casualties of those in the mosque, it is still unclear. Maulana Abdul Rasheed Ghazi, the defiant cleric in the Lal Masjid mosque, claimed that his mother died in the operation.
The operation was launched after the surrender talks early Tuesday between Ghazi and the religious delegation following the week-long standoff from July 3.
At 4 a.m. local time Tuesday (0100 GMT), Pakistan Muslim League (Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat, who talked with Ghazi on behalf of the government, said that the talks failed and he was disappointed.
Shujaat told the press that Ghazi wanted delay on talks, adding "we tried our best but Ghazi put more conditions."
Ghazi said that he wanted media persons to go into the mosque but the government refused.
He also claimed that he agreed to use safe passage to hometown in media presence but the government refused.
Source: Xinhua
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