A Recap of the Benazir Bhutto Assassination

According to CNN news reports, former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated outside a gathering of her supporters Thursday during a suicide bombing that killed 14 of her supporters, said doctors and a spokesman for her party. From his home in Dubai, Bhutto's husband issued a statement saying, "All I can say is we're devastated, it's a total shock."

Police have now warned Pakistan citizens to remain at home as they now expect violence to break out in city streets. Moments before the explosion video was captured showing Bhutto as she stepped into a heavily-guarded vehicle to leave the rally. CNN has been told by Pakistani police sources that the bomber was riding a motorcycle near Bhutto's vehicle when he blew himself up.

Bhutto led Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 as the first female prime minister of any Islamic nation. She was a participant in the parliamentary election that is set for January 8 where she was hoping to be elected to serve a third term. The deadly attacks of Thursday were presented two weeks after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf released an emergency declaration, which was said to be necessary in order to secure the country from terrorists. President Musharraf, according to state media, held an emergency meeting in the hours after the death.

Tariq Azim Khan, a former Pakistan government spokesman has said that while it seemed as if Bhutto was shot in the head and neck, it is still unclear, as those wounds may have been caused by shrapnel from the bomb. Bhutto received bullet wounds according to TV networks who were reporting. Bhutto was taken to Rawalpindi General Hospital where doctors pronounced her dead only two miles from the gathering at which she was speaking. Benazir Bhutto had known that she was not well protected, she believed President Musharraf's government was lacking in providing proper protection.

Besides the former Pakistan Prime Minister's death, and the 14 supporters who were also killed at Thursday's rally, it is not yet known exactly how many other wounded victims there are. However, in a video scene shot after the suicide bombing occurred you can see ambulances lining up to take many hurt people to hospitals.

This was not the first terror attack aimed at Bhutto, in October , the day in which she returned to Pakistan after eight years of exile, her motorcade in Karachi was attacked and it resulted in the death of 136 people. Mohsin Naqvi or CNN who was at both bombings said on Thursday that the blast in which the former PM was killed was not as powerful as the attack that happened in October.

Source:
Mohsin Naqvi, "Benazir Bhutto assassinated", CNN.com