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Police announce another arrest in Bhutto assassination | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) – Police have arrested another suspect in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, police said Friday, the fifth so far in the probe into the death of the charismatic opposition leader.

Abdur Rashid was taken into custody in Kamra, a town near the capital Islamabad, the head of the investigation Chaudhry Abdul Majeed said. He said not say when the man was apprehended.

Rashid appeared Friday in court in Rawalpindi where he recorded a statement admitting to have assisted those who carried out the Dec. 27 attack, Majeed said.

Rashid comes from the North West Frontier Province, where Islamic militants linked to al-Qaida have been battling Pakistani government forces.

On Wednesday, police announced that two Islamic militants, Husnain Gul and his cousin, had confessed to helping two assassins, one of whom died in the suicide attack. Two others, including a 15-year-old boy, have also been arrested in the probe.

Police have identified the suicide bomber who killed Bhutto only as Saeed, who was using the alias Bilal. He opened fire with a pistol and then detonated explosives hidden beneath his clothing, fatally injuring Bhutto as she was leaving a political rally in Rawalpindi, police have said.

The other assailant, identified only as Ikramullah, was to have attacked Bhutto if she escaped the first blast. With the first bomb proving fatal, Ikramullah left Rawalpindi the next morning and remains at large, police say.