Islamabad, Pakistan – In a tense standoff punctuated by the sound of explosions, gunfire and thudding rotors of circling helicopters, Pakistani authorities on Thursday demanded the unconditional surrender of Islamic militants holed up inside a radical mosque.
Police and troops tightened their siege of the Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, on the third day of a confrontation that has killed at least 19 people and caused chaos in Pakistan’s capital.
The cleric who took charge after his brother tried to slip out of the compound in a woman’s burka said he and his followers were willing to surrender but attached conditions government officials said were unacceptable.
Still, it appeared that authorities were seeking to avoid a full-on assault on the mosque compound. Interior Minister Af tab Khan Sherpao told journalists that troops used explosive charges to damage the walls of the complex and demoralize those inside, but they did not attempt to enter. It was not known how many people were holed up inside the compound.
The two Islamic seminaries, or madrassas, at one point had an enrollment of about 5,000 students, both male and female. Many are still in their teens.
But some students are thought to have left in recent weeks. In addition, more than 1,100 surrendered to authorities Tuesday, taking advantage of an amnesty offered to women, those under the age of 16 and men who had not taken part in any violence.
The mosque’s chief cleric, Maulana Abdul Aziz, was captured Wednesday as he attempted to flee while disguised in a woman’s head-to-toe veil and high-heeled sandals. Later, in an interview broadcast on state- run television, he urged followers to give themselves up.
