Pakistani forces tighten noose round mosque

Islamabad, July 8: Pakistani security forces tightened their noose round a mosque in Islamabad today after President Pervez Musharraf told militants barricaded inside to surrender or die.

Hundreds of troops were surrounding the fortified compound of the Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, and a girls' religious school in the Pakistani capital, where clashes between armed students and security forces began on Tuesday after months of tension.

Many Pakistanis support the action against the hardliners whose behaviour has raised concern about the growing influence of militant Islam.

Security forces have not mounted a full-scale assault due to fears for the safety of hundreds of women and children inside who the government says are being held as human shields.

Instead, troops have blown holes in the perimeter wall in the hope of letting those inside escape.

Gunfire erupted shortly after 1 am (0130 hrs IST) as paramilitary forces provided cover for commandos to move forward, said an intelligence official, declining to be named.

An officer in the unit that conducted the raid was killed and one commando wounded, the official said. The death toll in the standoff is now 21, according to official figures.

Three big blasts sounded across the city as the commandos blew up more of the compound wall.

''Our strategy is to bring down the walls or make holes in them to make escape routes for the women and children being held hostage,'' said a security official. ''We hope it works.''

Taliban Style

The cleric leading the Lal Masjid's Taliban-style movement, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, said up to 80 people had been killed inside his compound. The government dismissed that.

Fifty to 60 hardcore militants were believed to be leading the fighting, officials said.

Musharraf, in his first public comment on the confrontation, said the militants had no option but to surrender.

''If they don't surrender, I'm saying it here, they will be killed,'' Musharraf told reporters yesterday. ''We've shown great patience because we don't want people to be killed.'' The Lal Masjid has been a hotbed of militancy for years, known for its support for the Taliban in Afghanistan and opposition to Musharraf's backing for the US-led campaign against terrorism.

Water, gas and power to the mosque were cut and food was said to be running short. Security forces have occupied another city madrasa linked to the Lal Masjid.

Ghazi has defied orders to surrender, saying he would prefer ''martyrdom''. He rejected government accusations he was holding women and children as human shields.

He said he and his followers would lay down their weapons but would never accept arrest.

''If compromise means bowing down it's unacceptable to my boys, my girls and me,'' Ghazi told ARY Television today.

About 1,200 students left the mosque after the clashes began but only about 20 have come out since Friday. Officials said they did not know how many people remained inside but there could be up to 2,000.

Reuters

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