Musharraf's Plane Fired Upon; Terror Bomb Kills Four Pakistan Soldiers

Wonderful:

Gunners fired shots after an aircraft carrying President Gen. Pervez Musharraf took off from a military base Friday, officials and witnesses said, in an apparent assassination attempt that has added to the sense of crisis enveloping Pakistan.

It was unclear if the incident was linked to an army siege of a radical mosque in the capital. However, it underlines concerns about the threat posed by Islamic militants to Pakistan's stability and role as a key U.S. ally.

Compounding the gloom, police said a suicide attacker pedaled a bicycle bomb into a military convoy in the northwest, killing four soldiers.

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The plane later landed safely in the town of Turbat for a visit to Pakistan's flood-ravaged south.

If confirmed, the attack would be at least the fourth attempt on Musharraf's life since his decision to side with the United States in its war on terror enraged Taliban and al-Qaida-linked radicals in Pakistan.

Within minutes, police and troops had surrounded a house in Rawalpindi, a garrison city near Islamabad. Officials said two anti-aircraft guns and a light machine gun were found on the rooftop.

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Officials said the owner of the house had been taken in for questioning and that they were looking for a couple who rented the property this week.

Thanks to dri.

posted by Ace at 02:36 PM

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