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Security forces dynamite Lal Masjid wall

ISLAMABAD: Security forces besieging the Lal Masjid late on Saturday blew up part of the wall of the compound, a security official said, AFP reported.

There was also an intense exchange of fire before midnight between security forces and militants holed up inside the mosque complex, the official said. “Security forces dynamited the wall to allow people inside to come out if they want to,” he told AFP. People inside the compound who wished to leave risked being shot by hardline students if they attempted to climb the wall, which is seven to eight feet high, he said. Breaching the wall also gave security forces a clearer picture of what was happening, he added.

Security forces blew up another section of the wall early Sunday with the deafening blasts heard several kilometres away.

“There has been another round of intense firing but there have been no casualties on the security forces’ side,” the official said.

An AFP photographer at the scene said heavy firing between the security forces and the militants continued for more than 45 minutes late Saturday with several bullets hitting the walls of several houses.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao warned Ghazi Abdul Rashid to let the hostage children come out otherwise he would be held responsible for any harm to them. A source at the mosque told AFP that one student was killed in the battle lasting around an hour. The official death toll from five days of fighting stands at 19.

Staff report adds: Earlier in the day, the security forces increased their presence in Sub-Sector G-6/1 and erected sandbag bunkers in front of the main street after gunshots were fired from a nearby mosque. The incident, which could not be confirmed by independent sources, took place in the morning as the curfew was relaxed from 8:00 to 9:30 am to allow local residents to go to their offices and buy food. Security sources told Daily Times that 13 people had been arrested for violating the curfew in G-6/2.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz chaired a meeting where he directed security forces to exercise restraint to minimise the loss of life. He also formed a three-member committee to supervise the situation.

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