Al Qaida is top suspect in Bhutto's murder

Washington: Terrorist group Al Qaida is the prime suspect in the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, a US official said.

The militant group was blamed for a previous attempt on Bhutto. It had also denounced her as an instrument of US policy in Pakistan.

"There are a number of extremist groups within Pakistan that could have carried out the attack ... Al Qaida has got to be one of the groups at the top of this list," a US official said.

The Taliban, which has publicly threatened Bhutto, was another potential suspect, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

One analyst said Al Qaida supporters in Pakistan's security services may have also played a role, but it was unlikely that President Pervez Musharraf was involved.

The Bush administration condemned the killing. "It demonstrates that there are still those in Pakistan who want to subvert reconciliation and efforts to advance democracy," said deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey.