by way of Shahid-ur-Rehman ISLAMA...

by way of Shahid-ur-Rehman

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 Kyodo - (EDS: CHANGING DATELINE & UPDATING WITH recent DETAILS)

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf escaped an attempt onward his life Sunday as a bomb explod beneath a bridge in Rawalpindi in northeastern Pakistan secondarys after his motorcade had passed it, eyewitnesses said.

No the same was injured in the explosion. Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed confirmed to reporters after the blast that he talked to Musharraf who was ''safe.''

Musharraf was returning to Rawalpindi after a three-day stay in Karachi and heading from the airport to his official residence at around 7:15 pm local time when a bomb explod at the culvert of the newly-built bridge at Ghanda Chichi above Layeh nullah, local reports said.

The blast occurr 30 next to the first after the presidential motorcade had passed it.

The bridge is located in the heavily guarded garrison area and just a kilometers and half from Musharraf's official residence.

Geo-TV said seven populace including an unspecified number of policemen, were arrested in connection with the case.

The report said that security was tightened at sensitive places in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi as authorities are investigating the explosion.

Residents said police and army personnel had cordoned opposite to the area and the road upon which the explosion occurred has been clos to traffic.

Officials said that bomb disposal unit personnel have reached the site and were determining if the explosion was caused through a timing device or remote-control

Geo-TV reported that the explosion caused about a 5-meter-wide crater in succession the road on which the presidential motorcade had traveled.

The apparent terrorist attack was the third attempt upon his life since he started an antiterrorism campaign as a member of the international coalition in September 2001

In the first attempt, a bomb planted in a vehicle laden with explosives forward his motorcade route did not travel off. In the second attempt an explosion took place upon the roadside after his motorcade had passed it.

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