PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A bomb tore through a bus carrying government employees and other civilians in northwestern Pakistan today, killing 18 people in an attack that served as a reminder of the continued militant threat despite a significant drop in violence over the past year, officials said.
The bus was near the city of Peshawar when the bomb planted inside it exploded, almost completely destroying the back half of the colorfully decorated vehicle. The dead included six women, said senior police officer Tahir Ayub Khan. Another 35 people were wounded in the explosion, he said.
Jalal Khan, 14, was standing in the aisle of the crowded bus when the bomb went off and his right arm was slashed by a piece of metal.
“We all fell on the floor of the bus, and people were crying for help,” said Khan, while receiving treatment.
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