Gunmen wearing military uniforms and wielding assault rifles and grenades attacked Pakistan’s army headquarters today, sparking a ferocious gun battle outside the capital that killed four of the assailants and at least six soldiers, authorities said.

Washington’s second most senior diplomat will have a crucial meeting with Pakistan’s military leader President Pervez Musharraf today, hoping that face-to-face diplomacy will convince the general to move back on the path to democracy.