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Pakistan car bomb hits jail bus | |
(10 minutes later) | |
At least seven people have been killed after a car bomb targeted a prison bus in Pakistan, police said. | |
Six policemen and a civilian died in the morning blast near Bannu town in North West Frontier Province (NWFP). | |
Police told the BBC Urdu service that the device was in a vehicle parked on a bridge and was detonated by remote control as the prison van approached. | |
Bannu is close to the border with Afghanistan, where Islamist militants have been attacking security forces. | Bannu is close to the border with Afghanistan, where Islamist militants have been attacking security forces. |
Police said no prisoners were on the bus at the time of the blast, at about 0900 (0300 GMT) in the garrison town, 250km (155 miles) south-west of the Pakistani capital Islamabad. | |
A local police superintendent told the BBC: "Six policemen and a civilian have been killed. The prison bus was on its way to the jail to pick up prisoners for their court hearings. | |
"Near the bridge on Kurram River, an explosive-laden vehicle was already parked. When the bus approached the vehicle, the explosives were detonated by a remote control." | |
AFP news agency reported that the force of the blast had caused the prison van to plunge into the river below. | |
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. | |
Security has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks in NWFP, which the Afghan government and the US say is a haven for pro-Taleban militants and al-Qaeda. | Security has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks in NWFP, which the Afghan government and the US say is a haven for pro-Taleban militants and al-Qaeda. |