Many killed in Pakistan bus attacks

At least 19 people killed and many wounded in three separate attacks in Karachi and Baluchistan. Last Modified: 26 Apr 2011 04:06

At least four people were killed in two seperate bomb blasts near buses carrying navy officials in Karachi [Reuters] Two bombs have exploded near buses carrying navy officials in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi, killing four people and wounding 56. Tuesday's attacks came hours after another bus was set on fire in southwestern Baluchistan province late on Monday, burning 15 people to death, including four children and two women. Police said the bombs targeting the buses in two different parts of Karachi were remote controlled. A junior naval officer and a civilian female doctor were among those killed in the twin blasts, Pakistan Navy spokesman Commander Salman Ali said. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet. Analysts said that the attacks may be part of a wider campaign to hit security forces across the country. "It appears to be part of the same militant campaign but I don't see any logic in targeting the navy because unlike army and air force they are not involved in any operations against the militants," said Tasneem Noorani, a security analyst and former interior secretary. "They may have targeted navy out of desperation because the other forces (air force and army) may have become very careful and are difficult to attack." A senior government official said the attack in Baluchistan took place in Sibi town, about 160 km east of the provincial capital Quetta, when the bus was parked at a roadside restaurant. Ethnic Baluch fighters have waged a low-level insurgency for decades for more autonomy and greater control of natural resources of their region. They frequently attack government installations and security forces. The attack on the military in Karachi was the first since 2004 when gunmen ambushed a convoy escorting the Karachi army corps commander. The general narrowly escaped that attack. In 2002, 11 French engineers and technicians working on the construction of submarines for the Pakistani navy were killed, along with three Pakistanis in a suicide car bombing outside a hotel in Karachi. Karachi is Pakistan's biggest city and commercial hub. It is also the main base for the navy.

Source: Agencies