Dawn : Suicide attack on Pakistan air force bus kills eight

Suicide attack on Pakistan air force bus kills eight

AFP | November 1, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Nov 1 (AFP) - A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden motorbike into a bus carrying Pakistani air force officials on Thursday, killing at least eight and wounding 40 others, officials said.

Private TV channels reported that the death toll had risen to nine.

“The bus was carrying trainee flying officers when it was attacked by the suicide bomber” in the Sargodha district of central Punjab province, interior ministry spokesman Brigadier Javed Cheema told AFP.

Eight air force officials died and around 40 were wounded.

Cheema said, “It was a suicide attack and the target was the bus which was carrying the air force officials,” chief military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said.

The dead included a squadron leader, two airmen and five trainee flying officers, security officials said.

The bomber's dismembered head was found at the scene while some pieces of his body were stuck to the exterior of the bus, police officer Hamid Javed said.

The bus itself was badly mangled in the blast. “It was a huge bang and was heard several kilometres away,” a police officer said.

Ambulances raced the casualties to local hospitals where an emergency has been declared.

Some of the injured are in critical condition, a local police officer said.

He said three school children were also hurt when shrapnel hit the van in which they were travelling.