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'Soldier dies' at Pakistan mosque | |
(20 minutes later) | |
A Pakistani soldier has been killed in clashes with radical Islamist students outside a rebellious mosque in the capital, Islamabad, officials say. | |
Reports say police fired tear gas at a group of students and that students then opened fire with guns. | Reports say police fired tear gas at a group of students and that students then opened fire with guns. |
For several months armed students and clerics at the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) and its two religious schools have been defying the authorities. | For several months armed students and clerics at the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) and its two religious schools have been defying the authorities. |
Clerics at the mosque are campaigning for Islamic Sharia law in the capital. | Clerics at the mosque are campaigning for Islamic Sharia law in the capital. |
The death of the paramilitary soldier is believed to be the first casualty in the stand-off between the authorities and the students. | |
"I can confirm that one of our troopers has been killed in the firing from inside the mosque," a senior paramilitary official, Masha Allah, told reporters outside the Lal Masjid. | |
At least one policeman is also reported to have been wounded. | |
The students say scores have been affected by the tear gas, with two in a serious condition. One has bullet wounds, the students say. | |
Reinforcements | Reinforcements |
Students are armed with sticks and petrol bombs and some are wearing masks, the BBC Urdu service's Haroon Rashid who is at the scene says. | Students are armed with sticks and petrol bombs and some are wearing masks, the BBC Urdu service's Haroon Rashid who is at the scene says. |
class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/6503477.stm"> Profile: Red madrassa | |
Our correspondent says the atmosphere is tense and that he has heard some shots that sounded like they came from within the mosque. | Our correspondent says the atmosphere is tense and that he has heard some shots that sounded like they came from within the mosque. |
There are two religious schools (madrassas) attached to the mosque, one for men, one for women. | There are two religious schools (madrassas) attached to the mosque, one for men, one for women. |
The trouble started when a group of female students came out in large numbers and the paramilitary police used teargas against them. | The trouble started when a group of female students came out in large numbers and the paramilitary police used teargas against them. |
Extra police had been deployed around the mosque earlier in the day. | Extra police had been deployed around the mosque earlier in the day. |
An official said the move was to prevent the seminary students from taking the law into their own hands. | An official said the move was to prevent the seminary students from taking the law into their own hands. |
The Red Mosque and its seminaries have been at the centre of a number of confrontations with the authorities. They include the kidnapping of police and people the mosque says are involved in immoral activities. | The Red Mosque and its seminaries have been at the centre of a number of confrontations with the authorities. They include the kidnapping of police and people the mosque says are involved in immoral activities. |
Critics have attacked the government for failing to enforce its authority in the capital. | Critics have attacked the government for failing to enforce its authority in the capital. |
Correspondents say the authorities seem unwilling or unable to act. President Musharraf has said security forces cannot raid the mosque for fear of reprisal suicide attacks. |