Operation Lal Deen: Rising at Pakistan’s Red Mosque

By Animesh Roul

The battle between Pakistani soldiers and radical elements in pro Taliban Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) has erupted on July 3 (Tuesday) and a full fledged military operation (code named Operation Silence) is currently underway in Pakistan capital Islamabad. Though conflicting reports about who-fired-first reached outside world, video footage from Geo TV showed masked gunmen firing sporadically brandishing Kalashnikovs and shot guns while the students of Theology (read Talibans) from two religious seminaries Jamia Faridia and Jamia Hafsa, including women student were running and shouting Jihadi slogans, possibly playing veiled-cheerleaders or a human shield.

As per the latest reports, Maulana Abdul Aziz the head cleric at Islamabad’s Lal Masjid has been arrested when he attempted to flee the besieged Mosque. At least 19 deaths have been confirmed by interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao till July 5. Over hundred others were reportedly injured in the gun battle. As many as 50 armed terrorists are said to be holed up in the premises of Lal Mosque and Jamia Hafsa with Ak series rifles, hand-grenades, petrol bombs and other lethal weaponries.

More than two months have been passed since Maulana Abdul Aziz gave the Pakistan government ultimatum to enforce Sharia law in the country. He even threatened that clerics will Islamize society themselves, if the government failed to enforce Sharia and employ suicide bombers to go to any extent. The trouble started following an April 17 clerics’ convention on the protection of Madrassas (seminaries) declared that suicide bombings were un-Islamic and must not be encouraged. The convention was organized by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazlur (JUI-F) faction. The convention also noted deteriorating security situation in the North West Frontier Province and elsewhere in the country, blaming Lal Masjid administration for their clarion call for Shria and Jihad.

In mid April, it was reported that over 300 militants affiliated to several Sunni outfits like the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami have reorganized themselves and sheltered in the Capital to work as “a back up in the event of a military action against the Lal Masjid.” Now it has been learned that many of the surrendered students actually belonging to these terror groups.

In the meantime, the ongoing standoff entered fourth day even after thousands of students surrendered and return to their houses. Pakistani security forces are still on guard and trying to flush the last remaining militant holed up inside the Mosque premise.

For latest developments, See, MetroBlogging Site.

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