Abdul Rasheed Ghazi killed

The news just came in. Abdul Rasheed, the mulla (or cleric) at the head of the Lal Masjid mosque complex insurgency, has been killed by security forces in a crossfire after refusing to surrender. The official figures are at about 50 militants dead and 50 women and children rescued. Still no word on any other casualties, though it’s likely that a few military personnel and even some civilians have lost their lives. It shouldn’t be long now before the whole thing is over.

Blue Area, Islamabad’s main belt of commercial activity, has been sealed, allegedly after a few stray bullets hit some of the buildings. There was also news of a person getting shot in the ankle from a stray bullet in F-6 sector though that is at least a couple of kilometers away and there’s been no official word on these incidences yet.