Bomb targets Peshawar bus station

2012-02-23 164

At least 13 people died when a car bomb went off at this busy bus station in the Pakistani city of Peshawar.

Dozens more have been wounded, some critically.

It's feared the number of dead will rise.

Witnesses described the chaos.

SOUNDBITE: Mohammed Saleem, witness, saying (Pashto) :

"Suddenly there was huge bang. Many children were injured. Many vehicles were destroyed and bus drivers were killed. This happened around ten minutes ago. That man crying over there, his brother is missing. We don't know whether he was injured or killed."

Police say a car packed with about 40 kilogrammes of explosives was used in the attack.

The bombers targetted one of the city's busiest areas.

The city has seen many bombings since the Pakistan military stepped up its operations against militant groups in 2007.

Peshawar borders Pakistan's northwestern tribal regions, near neighbouring Afghanistan where the Taliban, al Qaeda and other affiliated militant groups are entrenched.

Paul Chapman, Reuters