A Pakistani army armoured personnel carrier moves towards the Red Mosque during a military operation in Islamabad, July 10, 2007. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

    ISLAMABAD, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Major operation was launched early Tuesday against the hardline militants in the defiant Lal Masjid mosque in the Pakistani capital after failure of talks, the military said.

    Loud explosions were heard after the operation launched.

    Children running out of the mosque are with the troops now local TV quoted the military as saying.

    Cleric Maulana Adbul Rasheed Ghazi, who is still inside the mosque, claimed that his mother was killed in the operation.

    Earlier, PML (Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat said that the talks failed and he was disappointed.

    He told the press that Ghazi wanted delay on talks, adding "we tried our best but Ghazi put more conditions."

    Ghazi said that he wanted media persons to go into the mosque but the government refused.

    He also claimed that he agreed to use safe passage to hometown in media presence but the government refused.

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