Washington: There were three, not two, attempts at assassinating Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf by attacking his convoy that takes him from Islamabad to his residence in Rawalpindi, though only two have been publicised, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri has revealed.

Speaking to the 'Washington Post', Kasuri acknowledged that the Pakistani Cabinet recently asked Musharraf to move to Islamabad rather than continue a daily 30-minute commute from Rawalpindi.

The 'Post' said that a European intelligence service has detected signs that some commanders in Pakistan's intelligence service are increasing their cooperation with Islamic extremist groups rather than following Musharraf.

"The President is engaged in a self-protective show down with his enemies, this information suggests," according to a report in the daily.