Pakistan toughens on militants

"It is now a battle of survival for the Islamic extremists who accuse Musharraf of betraying the cause of Islam and view the Taliban and Al Qaeda men as soldiers of Islam fighting against America," says a leading analyst, M.B. Naqvi.

"Extremists are not trying to change Pakistan's government; they are trying to kill Musharraf. They perceive [him] as a shield to US interests in Afghanistan and Kashmir and they want to get rid of him," he says.

Pakistan' top military-intelligence agencies and special police teams are homing in on the unconventional tactics of the Dec. 25 attackers. Previously, plotters used remote-control devices that failed. This latest assassination bid was a suicide bombing, a rare tactic for militants in Pakistan.

"They seem to be highly trained and organized," says federal Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hyat. "Suicide bombing anywhere is impossible to stop, but we are trying to ensure a foolproof security system for the president." He said the bombers have been identified as belonging to an extremist group he would not name.

"We suspect that individuals of a militant group having a possible nexus with Al Qaeda and Taliban may be behind the assassination attempt," says a senior police investigator. "We are working on different leads...."

General Musharraf recently banned 13 militant outfits in an ongoing crackdown against religious militancy, including Kashmiri militant groups. Several members of the banned groups have been detained. Security sources say one of the suicide bombers, Mohammad Jameel, belonged to a family from Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Sources say Mr. Jameel had gone to Afghanistan to fight with the Taliban against the Northern Alliance and then against US forces.

The leading English newspaper, Dawn, quoted security sources as saying that the suicide bomber is suspected of having links with Al Jihad, a Kashmiri militant group.

Pakistan has long been a hub for Islamic militants who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops, thousands of militants fought against Indian security forces in Kashmir. In the following years, sources say, many Kashmiri militants were trained at Al Qaeda-run camps in the Afghan cities of Khost and Jalalabad.

Analysts say that Musharraf must move cautiously. "He is facing danger from everywhere," says Mr. Tauseef. "His power base is the armed forces, and he needs to keep that support intact as well as the continuation of his mission against extremists."

"Musharraf's survival is necessary not only for the people of Pakistan but to the US because militants want to make Pakistan a fortress for jihad. Musharraf is a target as he is seen as a hurdle," adds Mr. Masood.

• Material from wire services were used in this report.

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