BRIEF: BENAZIR BHUTTO IS ASSASSINATED

Photo - Benazir Bhutto - T. Mughal/European Pressphoto Agency/NYT

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan- At an election rally today, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was shot in the neck by a gunman who then set off a bomb.  Bhutto was killed along with 15 other people, and many were injured.

Bhutto was declared dead by doctors at a hospital at 6:16pm.  Doctors tried to revive her for 35 minutes but she had shrapnel wounds, a head injury, and heart failure. 

President Pervez Musharraf blames Islamic militants for the assassination, however there are no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack.

Bhutto was the head of Pakistan's People Party (PPP) and was campaigning for the upcoming elections to be held in the end of January.  Pakistan's political environment has been chaotic in the past, and her death will likely cause the situation to become worse.  Bhutto had many followers, who are now are in a state of shock.

Political rival Nawaz Sharif said "it is not a sad day, it is [the] darkest, gloomiest day in the history of this country."

For more information, please see:

BBC News - Benazir Bhutto killed in attack - 27 December 2007

New York Times - Bhutto Assassinated in Attack on Rally - 27 December 2007