Article

2007-07-05 India-Pakistan

Five gunship helicopters hovered over Lal Masjid on Wednesday as sporadic firing between militant students and security forces continued for a second day. Several hundred students surrendered to the government as security forces surrounded the mosque complex and announced amnesty for those who laid down their arms. However, many remained holed up inside, though the chief cleric of the mosque, Abdul Aziz Ghazi, was arrested trying to escape in a burqa.

The government confirmed the deaths of 16 people and injuries to 98 from the clashes, but unofficial reports put the death toll at 20 and 200 injured, some of them critically. Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (r) Javed Iqbal Cheema said 1,100-1,200 students had surrendered by 10:30pm on Wednesday night, but several were still inside the mosque along with deputy chief cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi. A delegation of ulema entered the complex at around 10:15pm to negotiate with the mosque administration to release more students.

Earlier, a gunbattle erupted between the students and security forces after two big blasts at around 5:00pm. Security forces fired teargas shells and moved armoured personnel carriers around Lal Masjid. However, an imminent operation was put on hold as small groups of students continued to pour out the mosque all day.

Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani said that the ultimatum given to the students to surrender was being extended to minimise the loss of life in an operation. A shoot-on-sight curfew was imposed in the early hours of Wednesday. Paramilitary troops shot dead two men as they took a morning walk near FG Girls School, G 6/1-4, sources told Daily Times. They said that Abdul Ghafoor Qureshi, a section officer, and his friend were unaware that a curfew had been imposed. AFP reported that paramilitary troops shot dead an apparently mentally ill man as he wandered close to the mosque area.

Adiala Jail Superintendent Shahid Saleem Baig told Daily Times that 128 of the surrendering students had been sent to jail, but their detention was temporary and they would be released after background checks.

Meanwhile, security forces continued their build up for the possible operation. The three-layered plan for the operation puts the army on the front line, Rangers at the second line and Islamabad police and Punjab Constabulary at the third line. Troops from the Rawalpindi-based 111 Brigade and Mangla were also called in.

Posted by Fred 2007-07-05 00:00|| || Front Page|| [14 views ] Top
File under: Taliban

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