Pak officer killed as blasts rock mosque complex

A top paramilitary officer was killed and another injured in intense exchange of firing between the Pakistani security forces and militants holed up in the besieged Lal Masjid, where a defiant cleric claimed that 200 girl students were among those who died in a wall collapse due to massive blasts triggered by the Army.

Lt Col Haroon-ul-Islam, a commander of the Special Services Group (SSG), was killed and Major Tariq injured in the heavy exchange of fire last night.

Officials said the casualties occurred when security forces were conducting operations in heavy rain.

The SSG officer's death was the second suffered by the security forces so far. A paramilitary Rangers personnel was killed a week ago when militant students came out and tried to attack a Rangers' picket that sparked the tense stand-off, which entered the sixth day today.

Also, security forces reportedly apprehended six militants who came out in darkness and tried to escape. Officials also claimed to have apprehended Muhammad Asim, who headed the team of militants guarding the Deputy Administrator of the mosque, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was leading the resistance from the Lal Masjid. Asim was taken to an undisclosed place for questioning.

Quoting officials, local daily 'The News' said security forces fired teargas and "another kind of gas shells to paralyse the nerves of militants holed up in the complex". They said it was done to provide an opportunity to those who want to escape from the complex, it said.

Meanwhile, huge explosions rocked the city last night which officials said were caused by detonation of dynamites to break the walls around the besieged complex to enable people to escape.

Ghazi told TV channels early today over phone that they had enough weapons and ration for a month and would keep on fighting.

He alleged that 200 girl students and 25 males were killed due to a wall collapse caused by explosions by security forces, a claim rejected by the government.

These inmates were hiding next to the wall when it collapsed, Ghazi said. He, however, did not say when these casualties occurred.

He also said that they have been burying the dead in the Masjid complex itself because of their decision not to hand over the bodies to security forces.

Ghazi, who earlier said he would only surrender if he was given a safe passage to go to his village in Balochistan, also changed his stance about giving up along with his students.

He now said that he was ready to face a court constituted by several Supreme Court judges to conduct trial on the cases registered against him.

"The security operation should be delayed for three weeks and if there are any charges against me they should be decided by the court. If the court finds me innocent I should be give a safe passage to leave the mosque. We can never turn ourselves in. We will accept martyrdom but will not surrender," Ghazi told Geo TV.

Already several cases of terrorism, abduction of seven Chinese, including six women, and policemen have been registered against him and his elder brother Maulana Abdul Aziz, who was captured three days ago while trying to flee the mosque wearing a burqa.

Officials said security forces used light weapons to demolish the boundary walls of the complex and clear other hurdles to observe the movement of militants. "Calculated shots were fired at the obstacles," an official source said.