Bomb kills bus driver, wounds 2 kids in Pakistan

[December 13, 2010]  PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) -- A roadside bomb exploded near a school bus in northwest Pakistan's main city on Monday, killing the driver and wounding at least two children, police said.

The city of Peshawar lies near the militant-riddled tribal regions of Pakistan and the Afghan border, and it has long been a favorite target of Taliban attacks. Militants in the northwest have frequently attacked schools -- especially those for girls -- but usually when children are not at the scene.

Police did not rule out the possibility that the bomb may have missed its intended target.

The bus was hit near a private school in the Bhana Mari neighborhood, police official Shakir Khan said. Senior police official Ejaz Khan confirmed the death and wounded tolls.

The blast ripped through the vehicle, leaving a charred shell and a crater on the ground nearby. The words, painted in English, "Islamia Model High School" were still visible on the side of the green bus.

[Associated Press; By RIAZ KHAN]

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