Pakistan’s military commandos seized control of large parts of the Red mosque complex in central Islamabad on Tuesday in violent gun battles that claimed the lives of at least 50 Islamic militants – including a senior cleric – and eight soldiers.

The bloody assault – intended to end a six-month stand-off between militant Islamists and the government of Pervez Musharraf, president – marked the most violent day in the capital’s history. Local media put the militant death toll as high as 150.