50 militants and 8 soldiers were killed in a mosque clash in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, after peace negotiations took a turn for the worse at 0400 last Tuesday.
Several Chinese workers accused of running a brothel were kidnapped by militants within the mosque as well as several policemen accusing them of being involved in immoral activities, that they believed to go against their faith.
Nearby civillians heard gunfire and explosions around the mosque area for several hours on the day of the raid.
The militants within the mosque were said to be heavily armed, explaining the ruin left of this former place of worship.
Attacks carried out by pro-Taliban militants against the president, Musharraf, are believed to be linked to the recent mosque siege.
it has been said the leader of the militants within the mosque, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, was situated in th basement using the hostages as a human shield.
20 children and 26 women were rescued during the siege, and security forces currently occupy 70% of the mosque.