 Military personnel accused in two failed assassination attempts against President Pervez Musharraf will be tried by a military court soon, an official said on Thursday. Al Qaeda-linked terrorists tried to blow up President Musharraf's motorcade twice within 10 days in December 2003 on a road near Islamabad. The president escaped unhurt, but in the second attack, 17 people were killed. Security agencies have arrested an unknown number of civilians and some low-ranking army and air force officials on suspicion of their links with those who masterminded and executed the attacks. An official, who requested anonymity, said "arrangements are underway for the court martial of some army personnel". He refused to disclose how many people would be tried, what charges they would face and when the trial would take place. No civilians have yet been tried in the attacks, an apparent response to President Musharraf's close support of the US-led war on terrorism. One key suspect, Amjad Hussain Farooqi, was killed on September 26 in a shootout, but authorities have yet to capture Abu Faraj al-Libbi, an alleged Libyan Al Qaeda operative, who officials say masterminded the plot with Farooqi's help. |