Islamabad: The Pakistani security forces on Thursday blew holes in the outer walls of a mosque where hundreds of militant Muslim students have been holed up in a stand-off with authorities for three days, security officials said.
Smoke was rising from the compound housing the Red Mosque and a girls' madrassa in Islamabad following several explosions on early Thursday evening. A fierce gunbattle was also heard. Journalists at the scene saw some troops being moved, but no sign that an assault was imminent.
The captured leader of the Taliban-style movement said earlier that there were around 850 students in the mosque, including 600 women. The government says some women and children were being used as human shields.
Earlier, a series of loud blasts was heard at a besieged mosque, with security officials saying they were explosive charges detonated to warn those inside to surrender.
Gunfire erupted after the blasts, which came two days after fierce clashes between hardline students and security officials at the radical Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, left at least 16 people dead.
The Pakistani forces arrested eight hardcore militants while they were trying to escape from the besieged mosque complex after the Army resorted to selective bombardment using helicopter gunships in the seminary complex. The bombing damaged some gates and walls of the complex.
As the authorities made frequent appeals to those holed up in the mosque-cum-seminary to surrender and extended deadlines, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao said about 50 to 60 heavily-armed militants were keeping women and children as human shields.
"They have AK-47s, grenades and petrol bombs. They are keeping women and children who want to come out of the mosque," he said.
While the Army resorted to selective bombardment of the Masjid and its madrassas damaging their walls and gates by firing mortar shells, US-made three Cobra helicopter gunships made repeated sorties for surveillance and firing teargas into the complex to flush the militants out.
Abdul Rashid Ghazi, brother of head cleric Abdul Aziz arrested last night while trying to flee donning a burqa, was said to be in command of the seminary. Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said Ghazi and other militants had no option but to unconditionally surrender before the law enforcing agencies.
With their hands tied behind their backs, the blindfolded militants were moved to a van near a government building. On Thursday, Aziz was slapped with charges of terrorism, abduction of six Chinese women and possession of illegal arms and was remanded to seven days police custody.
His daughter, arrested with him on Wednesday night, was also sent to police custody for a week. Cheema said 1,146 students — 745 male and 401 females — have come out and surrendered before the law-enforcing agencies so far. He said that females are being sent to Haji Camp.
He said the government would take responsibility of widows and orphans and bear their expenses, adding the Prime Minister has also issued special directives in this regard.
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