place

Siege of Lal Masjid

2000s in Islamabad2007 in Pakistan2007 in Pakistani politicsAl-Qaeda activitiesAttacks on religious buildings and structures in Pakistan
Burned buildings and structures in PakistanCommons category link is locally definedConflicts in 2007EngvarB from July 2016Events in IslamabadGovernment of Shaukat AzizHostage taking in PakistanHuman shield incidentsIslamism in PakistanJuly 2007 events in PakistanMass murder in 2007Massacres in religious buildings and structuresMilitary history of PakistanMilitary operations of the insurgency in Khyber PakhtunkhwaOperations involving Pakistani special forcesPakistan military scandalsPortal templates with redlinked portalsPunjab RangersSieges involving Pakistan
Red Mosque Islamabad 1
Red Mosque Islamabad 1

The siege of Lal Masjid (Urdu: لال مسجد محاصرہ; code-named Operation Sunrise) was an armed confrontation in July 2007 between Islamic fundamentalist militants and the government of Pakistan, led by president Pervez Musharraf and prime minister Shaukat Aziz. The focal points of the operation were the Lal Masjid ("Red Mosque") and the Jamia Hafsa madrasah complex in Islamabad, Pakistan. Since January 2006, Lal Masjid and the adjacent Jamia Hafsa madrasah had been operated by Islamic militants led by two brothers, Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid. This organisation advocated the imposition of Sharia (Islamic religious law) in Pakistan and openly called for the overthrow of the Pakistani government. Lal Masjid was in constant conflict with authorities in Islamabad for 18 months prior to the military operation. They engaged in violent demonstrations, destruction of property, kidnapping, arson, and armed clashes with the authorities. After a combination of events such as militants taking hostage the Chinese health care center's female workers and militants setting fire to the Ministry of Environment building and attacking the Army Rangers who guarded it, the military responded, and the siege of the Lal Masjid complex began. The military response was the result of not only pressure from locals but also diplomatic pressure from China. The complex was besieged from 3 to 11 July 2007, while negotiations were attempted between the militants and the state's Shujaat Hussain and Ijaz-ul-Haq. Once negotiations failed, the complex was stormed and captured by the Pakistan Army's Special Service Group. The government reported that the operation resulted in 154 deaths, and the capture of 50 militants. It also prompted pro-Taliban rebels along the Afghan border to nullify a 10-month-old peace agreement with the Pakistani government. This event led to a surge in militancy and violence in Pakistan which resulted in more than 3,000 casualties in 2008.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Siege of Lal Masjid (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Siege of Lal Masjid
Masjid Road, Islamabad G-6

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Siege of Lal MasjidContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 33.7128 ° E 73.087 °
placeShow on map

Address

Lal Masjid

Masjid Road
44000 Islamabad, G-6
Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan
mapOpen on Google Maps

Red Mosque Islamabad 1
Red Mosque Islamabad 1
Share experience

Nearby Places