Pakistani commandos have stormed a building near army headquarters in Rawalpindi and freed 39 hostages being held there by suspected Taliban militants.
Three hostages, two commandos and four of the gunmen were killed.
Two commandos were wounded and one wounded militant was arrested.
Yesterday's 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 north-western stronghold of South Waziristan on the Afghan border.
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.
