This Article is From May 28, 2010

Siege of Lahore mosques ends; over 60 dead, thousands rescued

Islamabad:
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Heavily-armed terrorists stormed two packed mosques of the minority Ahmadi sect in the Pakistani city of Lahore during Friday prayers, firing indiscriminately with automatic weapons and lobbing grenades. Over 60 people were killed, but hundreds held hostage for a few hours have been rescued.

It was a coordinated attack on  two mosques 15 km apart in Garhi Shahu and Model Town areas of Lahore at about 1.45 pm local time. Geo News channel reported that a Punjabi wing of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The terrorists entered the mosques and then continued to fire. Police and paramilitary forces surrounded the two mosques and took up positions on roads and roof tops around the mosques returning fire. They took a few hours, but the operation was successful and thousands were saved.

One gunman has been killed, one arrested and another one has been injured in the gunbattle.

Of the 60 people killed, most had bullet injuries. The injured were taken to Jinnah hospital. Many cars were damaged too outside the Garhi Shahu mosque.

Rescue work is now underway with both mosques cleared. Relieved people are rushing out to safety.

The attacks were clearly against the Ahmadi group, whom radical Sunni groups have targeted in the past, though never on such a large scale or coordinated fashion.
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