Agency report
 
Islamabad, Jul 10: In a pre-dawn operation, Pakistan army stormed the pro-Taliban Lal Masjid in central Islamabad to flush out militants holding a large number of women and children as hostages, triggering a fierce gun battle which left 50 radicals and eight commandos dead.

Fifty militants were injured in the operation and an equal number of madrassa students and ultras surrendered. Twenty-six women and three children were rescued from the besieged complex.

Deputy Administrator of the mosque Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who is using women and children as human shields, is holed up in the basement of the mosque and has been asked to surrender.

The army launched the Operation Silence at 4 am after last-ditch talks with Ghazi, brother of captured head of the mosque Maulana Abdul Aziz, to end the week-long standoff failed as he demanded special deal for foreign militants.

Heavy gunfire erupted and loud blasts were heard as commandos surrounded the mosque, where militants are believed to be holding 150 hostages, from three sides.

Security forces were being challenged by militants, who are using rocket launchers and machine guns. They have taken positions in the basement and were firing from the minarets of the mosque.

Army spokesman, Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad told reporters that "It is the final push to clear the mosque of armed militants.

He said so far eight military personnel were killed and 29 others including a Captain injured in the operation.

Asked why the operation has taken this long, Arshad said troops followed a step by step approach to minimise the casualties and to avoid collateral damage to the mosque.