ISLAMABAD, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A total of 26 women and three children were saved by security forces during Tuesday's operation against besieged armed personnel of Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, the military said.

    Among them are Maulana Abdul Aziz's wife and daughter, private DAWN NEWS TV channel reported, quoting unnamed sources.

    Pakistani military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said that so far 50 militants from the Lal Masjid mosque and seminary compound have been killed.

    Eight Pakistani soldiers died and 29 others were injured in the fighting, the spokesman said while addressing a news briefing here.

    Pakistani security forces started the full-fledged operation in the wee hours Tuesday morning as a talk negotiated through religious scholars failed to convince the defiant armed personnel inside the mosque to surrender.