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Troops in Pakistan's city of Islamabad have stormed the Red Mosque, after talks with radicals broke down.
"It is a final push to clear the place of armed militants," said military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad.
The army said 20 militants were killed in the operation, as loud explosions and gunfire were heard.
Three soldiers were killed and 15 injured, the army said. Twenty children escaped from the mosque, where women are also being held.
Students at the Red Mosque and its attached religious schools have been defying the authorities for several months in their campaign for Sharia law in the capital.
'Tough resistance'
The military operation began at about 0400 (2300 GMT Monday).
The troops - attacking from three directions - entered the compound and exchanged fire with the militants holed up inside.
Men wait for news of family members inside the Red Mosque
It is an anxious wait for those with relatives inside the mosque
"There are 20 militants dead and 15 to 20 wounded," Gen Arshad said.
The army says it has taken over the building's roof, but is meeting "tough resistance" from militants in the basement.
Those inside the mosque are using hand grenades, light machine guns, petrol bombs and other weapons, and the army says it expects the operation will last another four hours, the BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan reports.
Ambulances are waiting nearby to help any wounded.
Security forces have sealed off the hospitals where the wounded are being taken, and prohibited journalists from entering them.
It is not clear exactly how many people were left inside the mosque when the assault began.
Mosque leader Abdul Rashid Ghazi earlier told Geo TV that his mother had been wounded by gunshot.
"The government is using full force. This is naked aggression. My martyrdom is certain now," Mr Ghazi said.
'Very disappointed'
The talks aimed at resolving the crisis peacefully reportedly broke down over the militants' demand for an amnesty for all inside the mosque.
Location map
In pictures: Assault starts
Profile: Red Mosque
Profile: Abdul Rashid Ghazi
The government wants to detain a number of people on a wanted list, and also a number of foreigners whom it says are inside.
"I am returning very disappointed," said former PM Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, after talks conducted by loudspeaker and mobile phone with Mr Ghazi.
"We offered him a lot, but he wasn't ready to come on our terms," said Mr Hussain.
Security forces began their siege of the mosque a week ago, not long after students there abducted seven Chinese workers they accused of running a brothel.
On Monday, three Chinese workers were killed in Peshawar in an attack said to be linked to the unrest in Islamabad.
There is speculation that Islamic militants may be targeting Chinese people in Pakistan.
Women and children
Religious affairs minister Ejaz-ul-Haq, one of the negotiators who tried to reach an agreement, has described those in charge at the mosque as "hardened terrorists".
At least 21 people have died since fighting erupted when the army surrounded the mosque last Tuesday, including an army commander shot dead inside the mosque on Sunday.
Mr ul-Haq said women and children had been locked up on two floors of the Jamia Hafsa religious school, which is attached to the mosque.
As many as five "hardcore terrorists" were inside the mosque, he added, saying that one person killed on the first day of the siege belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad, an outlawed radical Muslim organisation which has been linked to al-Qaeda.
Mr Ghazi has denied the presence of any banned extremist groups.
He says those inside are students of his religious school and he is in charge.
He has said as many as 1,800 followers remained in the mosque, although this cannot be verified.
Earlier, Mr ul-Haq said up to 250 militants - including foreign radicals - were leading the fighting.
More than 1,000 supporters left last week under mounting pressure from security forces, although only about 20 have left since Friday.
"It is a final push to clear the place of armed militants," said military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad.
The army said 20 militants were killed in the operation, as loud explosions and gunfire were heard.
Three soldiers were killed and 15 injured, the army said. Twenty children escaped from the mosque, where women are also being held.
Students at the Red Mosque and its attached religious schools have been defying the authorities for several months in their campaign for Sharia law in the capital.
'Tough resistance'
The military operation began at about 0400 (2300 GMT Monday).
The troops - attacking from three directions - entered the compound and exchanged fire with the militants holed up inside.
Men wait for news of family members inside the Red Mosque
It is an anxious wait for those with relatives inside the mosque
"There are 20 militants dead and 15 to 20 wounded," Gen Arshad said.
The army says it has taken over the building's roof, but is meeting "tough resistance" from militants in the basement.
Those inside the mosque are using hand grenades, light machine guns, petrol bombs and other weapons, and the army says it expects the operation will last another four hours, the BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan reports.
Ambulances are waiting nearby to help any wounded.
Security forces have sealed off the hospitals where the wounded are being taken, and prohibited journalists from entering them.
It is not clear exactly how many people were left inside the mosque when the assault began.
Mosque leader Abdul Rashid Ghazi earlier told Geo TV that his mother had been wounded by gunshot.
"The government is using full force. This is naked aggression. My martyrdom is certain now," Mr Ghazi said.
'Very disappointed'
The talks aimed at resolving the crisis peacefully reportedly broke down over the militants' demand for an amnesty for all inside the mosque.
Location map
In pictures: Assault starts
Profile: Red Mosque
Profile: Abdul Rashid Ghazi
The government wants to detain a number of people on a wanted list, and also a number of foreigners whom it says are inside.
"I am returning very disappointed," said former PM Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, after talks conducted by loudspeaker and mobile phone with Mr Ghazi.
"We offered him a lot, but he wasn't ready to come on our terms," said Mr Hussain.
Security forces began their siege of the mosque a week ago, not long after students there abducted seven Chinese workers they accused of running a brothel.
On Monday, three Chinese workers were killed in Peshawar in an attack said to be linked to the unrest in Islamabad.
There is speculation that Islamic militants may be targeting Chinese people in Pakistan.
Women and children
Religious affairs minister Ejaz-ul-Haq, one of the negotiators who tried to reach an agreement, has described those in charge at the mosque as "hardened terrorists".
At least 21 people have died since fighting erupted when the army surrounded the mosque last Tuesday, including an army commander shot dead inside the mosque on Sunday.
Mr ul-Haq said women and children had been locked up on two floors of the Jamia Hafsa religious school, which is attached to the mosque.
As many as five "hardcore terrorists" were inside the mosque, he added, saying that one person killed on the first day of the siege belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad, an outlawed radical Muslim organisation which has been linked to al-Qaeda.
Mr Ghazi has denied the presence of any banned extremist groups.
He says those inside are students of his religious school and he is in charge.
He has said as many as 1,800 followers remained in the mosque, although this cannot be verified.
Earlier, Mr ul-Haq said up to 250 militants - including foreign radicals - were leading the fighting.
More than 1,000 supporters left last week under mounting pressure from security forces, although only about 20 have left since Friday.
Actually, I wasn't following this so closely, so this part in another article here http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6274018.stm had me surprised:
(....Initial babbling why Musharraf was reluctant to go against Islamist extremists....)
"The turning point clearly was the abduction of the Chinese massage parlour girls," says a senior diplomat in Islamabad.
"We know that the Chinese sent a very strong message that they could take losses in Balochistan or the tribal belt but were not prepared to see their citizens abducted and tortured bang in the heart of the capital."
"The turning point clearly was the abduction of the Chinese massage parlour girls," says a senior diplomat in Islamabad.
"We know that the Chinese sent a very strong message that they could take losses in Balochistan or the tribal belt but were not prepared to see their citizens abducted and tortured bang in the heart of the capital."
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