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December 27, 2007

Breaking: Benazir Bhutto Killed In Suicide Blast (Updated)

Breaking on Fox News: Benazir Bhutto has reportedly been killed in a suicide bomber attack at 6:15 Pakistan time. She was apparently shot in the neck and chest - Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto Assassinated at Rally in Pakistan:

The former prime minister died in Rawalpindi General Hospital, where she had been rushed to surgery after she was wounded in the attack.

There were reports that Bhutto had been shot in the neck as she was leaving the scene of the bombing.

"At 6:16 p.m. she expired," said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of Bhutto's party who was at the hospital.

Her supporters at the hospital began chanting "Dog, Musharraf, dog," referring to Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf.

Some of them smashed the glass door at the main entrance of the emergency unit, others burst into tears. Top party leaders were outside the hospital, crying.

One man with a flag of Pakistan People's Party tied around his head was beating his chest.

Sen. Babar Awan, Bhutto's lawyer, said, "The surgeons confirmed that she has been martyred."

Earlier via Dawn:

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Dec 27 (AP) An explosion went off shortly after opposition leader Benazir Bhutto addressed a political rally in Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh, killing at least 20 people, witnesses said. An Associated Press reporter at the scene could see body parts and flesh scattered at the back gate of Liaquat Bagh. He counted about 20 bodies, including police, and could see many other wounded people. Police official Abdul Karim said Benazir had already left the area in her vehicle when the blast went off. (First Posted @ 16:05 PST Updated @ 17:34 PST)

This is very bad news, indeed. Benazir Bhutto had promised to stop the Islamists, who have now apparently murdered her. With elections only days away, what effect this will have on the future of Pakistan remains to be seen. But clearly, Pakistanis must either wake up and revolt against the Islamists, or prepare to be ruled by terror.

Update via ABC News:

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack after a rally in the city of Rawalpindi on Thursday, her party said.

"She has been martyred," said party offical Rehman Malik.

Police at the scene said about 15 people had been killed.

A Reuters witness said he saw about eight bodies on a road as well as a mutilated human head.

An Interior Ministry spokesman said initial reports suggested it was a suicide bombing and more than 10 people had been killed.

A suicide bomber killed nearly 150 people in an attack on Bhutto on Oct. 18 as she paraded through the southern city of Karachi after returning home from eight years in self-imposed exile.

And let's not forget that Pakistan has nuclear bombs that could fall into the hands of Islamists. Scary thought, realistically a danger.

Related: Four dead : Fire on supporters of Pakistan Muslim League (N) - Gunmen opened fire on supporters of former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday as he campaigned for January elections, killing four of them

Other coverage: Benazir Bhutto, Freedom Fighter, RIP

Cross posted from Hyscience

Posted by Richard at December 27, 2007 8:32 AM