Pakistani commandos stormed a besieged mosque in Islamabad early this morning moments after negotiations between the country’s leaders and Islamic militants broke down.

Loud explosions and gunfire were heard as the troops entered the Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, in a dawn raid. About 20 of the children who had been held hostage inside the mosque by the rebel group led by Abdul Rashid Ghazi escaped as the military exchanged gunfire with the militants.

Major-General Waheed Arshad confirmed that some soldiers had been killed. It was not known how many of the estimated 60 militants holed up inside the mosque died. “This is the final assault,” he said. “We expect to clear the mosque and madrassa in the next few hours. Around 20 children managed to slip out and they are with the troops now.”

The raid began after the failure of an attempt by political and religious leaders to persuade the militants to lay down their weapons.

President Musharraf deployed thousands of troops to the mosque last Wednesday, a day after a bloody gun battle between security forces and followers of the radical clerics who lead a movement to establish Taleban-style Islamic rule in the capital. At least 24 people, including a special forces commander, have been killed so far during the stand-off. The Government claims that about 60 militants are holding hundreds of women and children who were studying at the mosque.

Shortly before the raid Abdul Rashid Ghaiz, who had wanted safe passage for himself and fellow rebels, claimed that the Government had not wanted to negotiate. He told a television station: “I question whether the Government ever intended to resolve the crisis. These people want nothing but genocide.”

Although there has not been much sympathy for Red Mosque militants across the country, the siege has sparked anti-government protests in North West Frontier Province and the tribal region bordering Afghanistan. In the restive tribal area of Bajaur, a wanted Pakistani Taleban leader, flanked by masked gunmen, vowed revenge for the attacks on the Red Mosque, as a crowd of more than 10,000 tribesmen chanted anti-Musharraf and anti-US slogans.

Suspected Islamists were also blamed for the killings of three Chinese engineers in Peshawar on Sunday, apparently in response to the mosque stand-off. Witnesses said that a number of bearded men came to the building where the Chinese had set up a factory to manufacture auto-rickshaws, spraying it with bullets.

President General Musharraf had assigned Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the former Prime Minister, to hold talks with the rebels. But after nine hours of talks yesterday via loudspeakers and mobile phones his delegation departed. Within minutes the first explosions were heard.

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