Al-Qaida's Number 2 issued a new videotape tonight calling for Pakistanis to join the jihad, or holy war, in revenge for the attack by Pakistan's army on a radical mosque.

Pakistani commandos cleared the warren-like Red Mosque complex of all defenders today, ending a bloody eight-day siege and street battles that left more than 60 dead.

Pakistani troops combed the warren-like Red Mosque complex for booby traps and any remaining militants today after storming the compound and killing its pro-Taliban cleric.

The chief cleric of the Red Mosque was killed today as troops were flushing out entrenched hold-outs inside a women’s religious school in room by room fighting, a Pakistan government spokesman said.

Pakistani troops attempted to clear a women’s religious school after seizing Islamabad’s Red Mosque in fierce fighting that left at least 40 militants and three soldiers dead.

Pakistani commandos stormed Islamabad’s Red Mosque compound today, sparking a fierce fight with militants accused of holding about 150 hostages inside.

ISLAMIC scholars and a former prime minister opened negotiations with militants besieged in Islamabad’s Red Mosque amid growing fears for some 150 women and children allegedly held hostage inside.

The top-ranking cleric of a besieged radical mosque in Pakistan's capital Islamabad claimed today that government forces have killed more than 70 of his students, saying he and his supporters prefer martyrdom to capture.

THE top-ranking cleric of a radical mosque besieged by government forces in Pakistan’s capital rejected calls for an unconditional surrender yesterday, saying he and his die-hard followers were ready for martyrdom.

The siege of a radical mosque in Pakistan’s capital entered its third day today after troops rocked the complex with gunfire and explosions and Islamic militants holed up inside rejected government calls to surrender.

Several explosions were heard near a radical mosque besieged by security forces in the Pakistani capital Islamabad this morning.

The chief cleric of a radical mosque in Islamabad was arrested and more than 1,000 of his followers surrendered today as troops backed by armoured vehicles and helicopters tightened their siege of the complex, officials said.

The chief cleric of the radical mosque besieged by security forces in the Pakistani capital Islamabad today was caught trying to slip away wearing a woman’s burqa, a senior official said.

Leaders of a besieged radical mosque in Pakistan remained defiant today as a deadline calling for their immediate surrender passed, a day after clashes there killed at least nine people.

Security forces clashed with Islamic students outside a radical mosque in the Pakistani capital Islamabad today, triggering gunfire that killed nine people, including four of the militant students, a senior official said.

Security forces clashed with militants outside a radical mosque in the Pakistani capital today, triggering gunfire that killed two police officers and one soldier.

Radical Islamic students freed nine people, including three Chinese women, hours after kidnapping them today from a massage parlour in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, officials said.

GUNFIRE and explosions rocked a besieged radical mosque in Pakistan’s capital last night, as Islamic militants holed up in the complex ignored a call from their captured leader to surrender.

Female Islamic students on an anti-vice drive have abducted an alleged brothel owner and locked her up at their fundamentalist seminary in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

PAKISTAN announced that it has arrested at least five al-Qaida-linked terrorists who had been plotting to launch suicide attacks on government leaders and the US Embassy.