Stand-off at Lal Masjid turns violent, 9 killed in firing

Islamabad, July 3: As many as nine people, including a Ranger and two seminary students, were killed and over 60 injured as the stand-off between the government and radical clerics in Lal Masjid turned violent today with an exchange of fire between the two sides. Nine people were killed in the sporadic exchange of fire between the Jamia Hafsa students and security forces, a private TV channel reported. Over 60 people, including security personnel, mediapersons and seminary students were injured in the exchange of fire and a tear gas attack by the police, with at least five people -- two policemen and three female students -- hospitalised with bullet injuries.

Students carrying Kalashnikovs and wearing gas masks took up positions behind sandbags and dirt bunkers chanting ''Jihad! Jihad! (Holy war)'', as police in riot vans fired volleys of tear gas.

As the gunshots rang out, a loudspeaker announcement from the mosque urged ''fidayeen'' (suicide attackers) to prepare themselves.

According to police sources, the trouble started after the students from the seminary snatched guns and wireless sets from the security guards at a nearby government office and blocked roads along the mosque.

The security forces then used tear gas to disperse the hundreds of students from the masjid who pelted stones at them, while veiled women were on the roof of the Jamia Hafsa building, shouting anti-government and pro-jihadi slogans.

Rangers' Captain Masha Allah told mediapersons that the students of Lal Masjid initiated the incident by opening fire.

Charging the mosque authorities with initiating the firing, Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao demanded the persons involved in the firing on the security forces from inside the mosque compound be handed over to the authorities.

''The government doesn't want bloodshed but it would not tolerate such incidents of lawlessness,'' he asserted, speaking on a private TV channel. He also demanded that they return the weapons and equipment they snatched from the security personnel.

Meanwhile, the office of Environment department was set on fire by the seminary students.

The violence caused tension in the locality resulting in closure of the nearby busy Aabpara and Melody markets, and leading to a massive traffic jam as the contiguous roads were later blocked for traffic by the administration. People residing in adjacent areas have been directed to remain confined to their houses.

Although the exact casualties or the number of injured was not known, Islamabad Capital Territory Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Muhammad Ali confirmed death of one jawan of Rangers, Mubarak Hussain, who was hit in the chest by a bullet fired by the Jamia Hafsa Squad.

According to sources at Poly Clinic, three male students -- Nasaruminullah, Nasir Ahmed and Abu Huraira -- got injured in firing. A female student Uzma Yusuf was also reportedly injured, while one woman, who was not identified, was undergoing surgery to remove bullets in her back and hand.

Police constable Rab Nawaz suffered injuries in cross firing.

The News' Islamabad Bureau Absar Alam was also wounded when hit by a teargas shell and a cameraman was also injured.

A student and a Ranger side were shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), hospital sources confirmed.

According to the Poly Clinic sources, 41 female students, who fainted in the tear gas attack, have been admitted while three have been shifted to PIMS.

Emergency has been declared and an alert sounded in all hospitals in the federal capital.

A police red alert has been declared in Sindh including Karachi.

UNI

Related Stories