The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Larkana

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto accused the government Sunday of failing to crush Islamic militants, days after a suicide bombing killed 56 people during prayers in a mosque.

Meanwhile, an army statement said a suicide bombing of a military convoy killed five civilians and four soldiers in the troubled northwest. It said 13 civilians and 10 soldiers were also wounded in the attack in the town of Mangora in Swat district, where security forces have carried out several operations against followers of a pro-Taliban radical Islamic cleric. Bhutto's sharp criticism came hours before the latest suicide attack. She spoke as the campaign heated up for next month's parliamentary elections, with politicians addressing rallies around the country. The former prime minister, speaking to about 25,000 supporters in her hometown of Larkana, said the ruling party of President Pervez Musharraf's government bore the blame for the rise of Islamic militancy.