Pak army senior official killed in Lal Masjid operation

Islamabad, Jul 8 (UNI) A senior Pakistan army official was killed and another injured during ongoing operation against radical Islamists at the radical Lal Masjid.

Lieutenant Colonel Haroon Islam, who was commanding the elite commando or Special Services Group (SSG) force sustained serious bullet injuries yesterday night while trying to blast through wall of the heavily guarded mosque. An army major was also injured but his condition is out of danger.

Chief military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad confirmed the death, second of security forces since standoff between the mosque and government erupted last Tuesday.

Deputy administration of the mosque ABdul Rashid Ghazi said 280 female and 25 male students were killed during the last night's operation but the government rebutted the claim putting the death toll at 20 since last Tuesday.

President Pervez Musharraf, who was in southwestern town of Turbat yesterday asked Ghazi and his companions in the mosque to surrender.

They should surrender or otherwise they will be killed, he said.

He said that the only reason for delaying a final strike against the mosque is to avoid loss of innocent lives. There are hundreds of women and children reportedly stranded inside the mosque.

Local media reports say that several al-Qaeda linked militants are also holed up in the mosque and have reportedly taken control there UNI