July 12, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 26, 1428

ISLAMABAD, July 11: Namaz-i-Janaza of nine soldiers of Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG), who embraced martyrdom on Tuesday during the Operation Silence at Lal Masjid- Jamia Hafsa compound, was offered at the Sports Ground Chaklala Cantt in Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

Those who embraced Shahadat included Capt Salman Farooq Lodhi, Naib Subedar Mohammad Inayat, Havaldar Mohammad Khan, Naik Mohammad Saddique, Lance Naik Afsar Sayab, Lance Naik Sheraz, Lance Naik Mohammad Naseer, Lance Naik Mohammad Johar Nasim and Sepoy Mohammad Khalid Khokhar, a press release issued by the ISPR said.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Ehsanul Haq, Vice Chief of Army Staff Gen Ahsan Saleem Hyat and a large number of other senior civil and military officers and relatives of the martyrs attended the Namaz-i-Janaza and offered Fateha.

The president also met the relatives of Shuhada and conveyed his condolence.

Later, the bodies of the martyrs were sent to their native villages for burial.

Captain Salman Farooq Lodhi was commissioned in Army Air Defence Regiment in April 2001. Later, he joined Special Services Group in 2003.

In recognition of his bravery and utmost devotion to duty during a similar operation code-named Al-Mizan in 2004, he was awarded with Tamgha-i-Basalat. The officer is survived by a widow.