Suicide blasts near former PM Bhutto´s vehicle kill 115 in Pakistan

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Source: CCTV.com | 10-19-2007 08:32

The truck of Pakistan former prime minister Benazir Bhutto is parked after an explosion in Karachi, Pakistan on Thursday, Oct 18, 2007.(Agencies)

In Pakistan, a suspected suicide bomber has killed 115 people in an attack targeting a vehicle carrying former prime minister Benazir Bhutto through Karachi. Officials say Bhutto was unhurt.

After one of the deadliest blasts in Pakistan's history, Bhutto has left the truck that had been transporting her through Karachi's crowded streets. Militants linked to al-Qaeda are reportedly angered by Bhutto's support for the US war on terrorism. They threatened to assassinate her earlier this week.

Rescuers scrambled to drag bodies from the wreckage as flames lit up the night sky after two explosions in Pakistan's most violent city. A Bhutto aide who was travelling with her says the blasts went off while she was resting inside the truck. President Pervez Musharraf says the attack represent "a conspiracy against democracy".

The White House has condemned the attack, saying "extremists will not be allowed to stop Pakistanis from selecting their representatives through an open and democratic process."

An official says reports suggest at least three jihad groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Taliban are plotting suicide attacks.

Bhutto has returned from eight years of self-imposed exile to lead the Pakistan People's Party into national elections that are meant to return the country to civilian rule.