RAWALPINDI, Oct 10 In a brazen but highly organised attack on the General Headquarters, the Pakistan Army's nerve-centre in Rawalpindi, a group of militants armed with automatic weapons, grenades and rocket launchers drove up to the compound and shot their way through one checkpoint before being intercepted by soldiers at a second post.

Six army personnel, a brigadier and a lieutenant-colonel among them, and four militants were killed in the daring attempt.

Two militants managed to escape during the ferocious gunfight that followed, but were later besieged by soldiers and still holed up late into the night inside an office near the building.

“Helicopter gunships are circling overhead and commandos have encircled them,” an army official said.

The attempt to storm the GHQ started around 11.30am, and the terrorists initially managed to create confusion as they wore military-like camouflage fatigues. But once they hurled grenades and opened indiscriminate fire at the outer post, killing or injuring most of the guards, those posted at the second post took them on, and killed four of the militants.

But taking advantage of the confusion, four to five armed attackers managed to infiltrate the heavily guarded GHQ and held several people, including staff member hostage, military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told Dawn.

He said the number of hostages could be between 10 and 15, and included both army personnel and civilians. “It is difficult to give the exact number of hostages, as some people fled after hearing the sound of gun-fire,” he said.

Asked if negotiations were underway with the hostage takers, he said it was too sensitive an issue to be discussed in detail and no further information can be shared as it could risk the lives of the hostages. “It suffices to say that the hostages have been surrounded by the security forces”, he remarked.

The hostage drama by the militants was continuing when we went to press. The hostages are being kept in a large room located near gate number 2, but outside the GHQ, General Abbas said.

An eye-witness told Dawn that the attackers were a mixed bag, as some were speaking Pushto and some Punjabi. At one point during the hostage situation they were making calls on their mobile phones, and were making all sorts of demands, including the release of some key militants.

However, the ISPR chief was not willing to give any specific details, and his appeal was against any speculations on the issue as it could endanger the lives of the hostages.

One of the attackers who was injured critically during the gun battle and was captured by the security officials from the scene was later interrogated which led the police to raid in a house in Humak, the outskirts of Islamabad. The house was reportedly being used by ten to eleven people who they suspect might be having links with today's attack on the GHQ.