(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-28 13:09

Washington -- US President George W. Bush called his Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf on Thursday to discuss the situation following the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.

Bush, who is vacationing in his ranch in Crawford, Texas, called Musharraf at 12:15 pm (1815 GMT), Stanzel said, without disclosing details of the phone call.

Bush has issued a statement and strongly condemned the assassination of Bhutto.

"The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy. Those who committed this crime must be brought to justice," Bush said.

"We stand with the people of Pakistan in that struggle against the forces of terror and extremism," Bush said.

Bhutto was killed Thursday evening in a suicide attack during her election rally at the Liaquat Bagh park in Rawalpindi, some 30 km south from Islamabad. At least 16 other people were killed and 56 were wounded in the attack.

Pakistan, under the leadership of Musharraf, has been a close ally of the United States on the war against terrorism.