ISLAMABAD, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Up to 110 people were
killed and over 200 others injured in two suicide blasts near former Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto's vehicle in the southern port city of Karachi early
Friday morning, local TV channel DAWN NEWS reported.
The twin blasts occurred near the truck, which
carried Benazir Bhutto after she arrived at the Karachi airport on Thursday, the
DAWN NEWS report said.
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Up to 110 people were killed and over
200 others injured in two suicide blasts near former Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto's vehicle in the southern port city of Karachi early Friday
morning. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Photo Gallery>>> |
Benazir Bhutto who returned to the country after
eight years of exile was not on the top of the truck and survived the attacks.
She remained unhurt and arrived at the Bilawal house in Karachi, according to
DAWN NEWS.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suicide
blast attacks.
However, a local commander of pro-Taliban militants
had earlier threatened to launch attacks on Bhutto after her return schedule was
announced. A security official said about 18,000 to 20,000 security personnel
including police and rangers were deployed in the city to ensure fool-proof
security arrangements for Bhutto.
Bhutto departed from Dubai and arrived at the Karachi
international airport on Thursday afternoon, receiving warm welcome from
hundreds of thousands of zealous supporters of her Pakistan People's Party
(PPP).
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Victims lie on the ground after an
explosion in Karachi, Pakistan on Thursday, Oct 18, 2007. Up to 110 people
were killed and over 200 others injured in two suicide blasts near former
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's vehicle. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
Bhutto
had planned to speak to the general public at a PPP meeting at Quaid's mazar,
which had been canceled after the suicide attacks.
The PPP leader Nisar Khuhro blamed the Sindh
government for the blasts while the PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar was quoted
by local media as saying that Bhutto wanted the intelligence bureau chief to be
sacked.
President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat
Aziz condemned the suicide attacks.
Bhutto, Chairperson of PPP, served twice as Prime
Minister of Pakistan in late 1980s and mid-1990s. She went into a self-imposed
exile in 1999 to evade corruption charges against her.
World
Reactions:
UN chief condemns deadly bomb attacks
in Pakistan
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned on Thursday the deadly bomb attacks on a
convoy of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in the southern port
city of Karachi.
The secretary-general is "shocked to hear" that the
convoy of Bhutto, "who arrived in Karachi a few hours ago, was attacked by two
road side bombs reportedly killing more than 100 people and injuring many more,"
Ban's press office said in a statement. Full story
U.S. condemns bombing attack in
Pakistan
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- The United States
condemned Thursday the bombing attack targeting a vehicle carrying former
Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Karachi earlier in the day after she
returned to the country.
"The United States condemns the violent attack in
Pakistan and mourns the loss of innocent life there," U.S. National Security
Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. Full story
