By Augustine Anthony
Rawalpindi, Pakistan - Pakistani commandos stormed a building near army headquarters on Sunday and freed 25 hostages being held there by suspected Taliban militants, ending violence that began a day earlier, a military spokesman said.
Three hostages, two commandos and four of the gunmen were killed, said the spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas. Two commandos were wounded and one wounded militant was arrested, he said.
"Now there is no terrorist left there. The operation is over," he told Reuters.
Saturday's brazen attack on the tightly guarded headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi came as the military prepared a major offensive against the militants in their northwestern stronghold of South Waziristan on the Afghan border.
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The attack called into question recent government claims setbacks for the militants this year had put them on the defensive, but a senior official said it would not hinder plans to tackle the South Waziristan bases.
The strike at the heart of the powerful military may also revive fears for nuclear-armed Pakistan's stability at a time when the United States needs its help in the campaign against an intensifying insurgency in Afghanistan.
A blast and gunfire erupted before dawn on Sunday as soldiers assaulted the security office building where the gunmen and their hostages were holed up.
"They were in a room with a terrorist who was wearing a suicide jacket but the commandos acted promptly and gunned him down before he could pull the trigger," Abbas said.
"Three of the hostages were killed due to militant firing," he said. Three other hostages were later found alive.
On Saturday, gunmen wearing army uniforms attacked the headquarters killing six soldiers in a gun battle at a main gate.
Five gunmen were killed there and two of their wounded colleagues captured, Abbas said.
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