Siege of Lal Masjid

The siege of Lal Masjid (}}; code-named Operation Sunrise also known as Operation Silence) was an armed confrontation in July 2007 between a Islamic fundamentalist militia and the government of Pakistan, led by president Pervez Musharraf and prime minister Shaukat Aziz. The focal points of the operation were the Lal Masjid ("Red Mosque") and the Jamia Hafsa madrasah complex in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Lal Masjid had been operated by two brothers, Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid, while the adjacent Jamia Hafsa madrasah been operated by Umme Hassan. They advocated the imposition of Sharia (Islamic religious law) in Pakistan and openly called for the overthrow of the Pakistani government. Lal Masjid was in constant conflict with authorities in Islamabad for 18 months prior to the military operation. They engaged in violent demonstrations, destruction of property, kidnapping and arson. After a combination of events such as Jamia Hafsa vigilantes taking hostage the Chinese massage parlor's workers and militia members setting fire to the Ministry of Environment building and attacking the Army Rangers who guarded it, the military responded, and the siege of the Lal Masjid complex began. The military response was the result of not only pressure from locals but also diplomatic pressure from China and the United States.

The complex was besieged from 3 to 11 July 2007, while negotiations were attempted between the militia and the state's Shujaat Hussain and Ijaz-ul-Haq. Once negotiations allegedly failed, the complex was stormed and captured by the Pakistan Army's Special Service Group. The government reported that the operation resulted in 154 deaths, and the capture of 50 militia members.

It also prompted Taliban along the Afghan border to nullify the Waziristan Accord, a 10-month-old peace ceasefire agreement with the Pakistani government. The siege led to a surge in militancy and violence in Pakistan which resulted in more than 3,000 casualties in 2008. Historians identify the event as the catalyst that triggered the commencement of the War in North-West Pakistan. The siege and ensuing battle was one of the longest urban battle in the History of Pakistan.

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