ISLAMABAD, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of people Friday attended the funeral of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

    Bhutto was buried near the grave of her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto at her home village of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in the southern Sindh province.

Asif Ali Zardari(3C-with white cap), husband of former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto, lowers her coffin into the grave after her funeral prayer at Ghari Khuda Baksh Friday. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The coffin was wrapped in the tri-color flag of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), of which she was the chairperson.

    Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto's husband accompanied the coffin.

    Bhutto was killed in a suicide attack Thursday in a park near capital Islamabad after addressing a huge political rally there.

    A large number of PPP leaders also attended the funeral.

Asif Ali Zardari (C-with white cap), husband of assassinated opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, lays a shawl at the grave of his wife Benazir Bhutto after her funeral in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh near Naudero Dec. 28, 2007. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Bhutto's death sparked countrywide protest, which resulted in the killing of more than 10 people over the last 24 hours.

    Bhutto's body was taken from Rawalpindi in a military C-130 plane Thursday night and was shifted to her home district of Larkana in Sindh.

    The Pakistani government Friday ordered inquiry into the attack on Bhutto.

    More than 20 people were also killed in the suicide attack on Bhutto. The assassin first opened fire at Bhutto and then blew himself up near Bhutto's bullet-proof car.

    The PPP has called upon the government to undertake an independent and transparent investigation into Bhutto's assassination and must inform the Bhutto family and the party.

Asif Ali Zardari (C), husband of former premier Benazir Bhutto, scatters rose petals over his wife's grave in Ghari Khuda Baksh, one day after her assassination. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Supporters of former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto surround an ambulance carrying her coffin in Ghari Khuda Baksh Friday. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Bhutto's body arrives in hometown for burial

    BEIJING, Dec. 28(Xinhuanet) -- The body of assassinated Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto arrived in southern Sindh province before dawn Friday for burial in the family's graveyard.

    A Pakistan Air Force plane landed in southern city of Sukkur from where the body and members of her family were flown by helicopter to Naudero, Bhutto's spokesman Farhatullah Babar told media.

Al-Qaeda claims responsibility of Bhutto's assassination

    BEIJING, Dec. 28(Xinhuanet) -- A spokesperson of Al-Qaeda has Thursday claimed responsibility for the killing of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, Italian independent news agency Adnkronos International (AKI) said.     

    "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat the mujahadeen," Al-Qaeda's commander and main spokesperson Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid told AKI in a phone call from an unknown location.

Musharraf announces three-day mourning for Bhutto

    ISLAMABAD, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced here Thursday night that the nation would have three-day mourning for Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in a suicide attack near the capital Islamabad earlier Thursday.

    In his nationwide speech through the state-run PTV, Musharraf asked the nation to keep peaceful.