ISLAMABAD: Investigations into murder of Benazir Bhutto take a new turn as Pakistani officials said they are searching for four military personnel who had disappeared just before the assassination of the former prime minister.

Interior ministry officials told DawnNews that the missing soldiers were retired army personnel who were among the eight army soldiers related to the main accused and a proclaimed offender in the case, Ibad Ur Rehman.

The interior ministry officials disclosed that investigators are facing difficulties in determining the exact status of these soldiers and so far no record had been provided. The four other soldiers are still serving the army.

These four army personnel had never been mentioned in the legal proceedings before an anti-terrorist court in Rawalpindi.

This is the first time that the investigators are probing into the possibility of army soldiers’ involvement into the assassination of the former prime minister.

A UN commission constituted to probe into the assassination of Ms. Bhutto is expected to submit its report by the end of this month.

When DawnNews tried to ascertain the view of military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas on this revelation, he could not be reached on his telephone despite repeated attempts.