In pictures: Red Mosque assault

Pakistani security forces stormed Islamabad's rebellious Red Mosque in an operation that began in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was leading the resistance, was killed during the operation. The Interior Ministry says his body was found in the basement of the mosque.

The army says at least 50 Islamic militants and eight soldiers have been killed in the fighting.

Talks with militants broke down early on Tuesday, with former PM Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain saying he was "very disappointed" at the failure.

Troops sealed off the area before the operation began.

It was an anxious time for relatives and friends of those still inside the mosque.

As the assault began and smoke was seen over the Red Mosque, journalists were kept at a distance.

Ambulances gathered near the site of the mosque to take the injured to hospital.

Medical staff attend to a commando injured in the fighting.

By late morning, the army said they were in control of 70% of the mosque complex, which includes a religious school for women and girls.

For months militants in the mosque campaigning for Sharia law in Islamabad have openly defied the authorities.

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