Source: The New York Times

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A suicide bomber on a motorbike packed with explosives destroyed a military bus carrying doctors in the Pakistan military headquarters city of Rawalpindi on Monday, and officials said at least six people had been killed, including a high-ranking army physician.

At least 40 people were wounded, the officials said, including a woman and several children.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Among the dead were four military personnel, according to a brief statement released by the military spokesman’s office in Rawalpindi. A military officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said three were officers of the Army Medical Corps, including a doctor with the rank of colonel.

The attack took place about 7:30 a.m. near the office of the National Logistics Cell, military officials said. The blast, which could be heard from several miles away, mangled the army bus and a private bus and damaged three other vehicles.

Rescue workers and security personnel rushed to the site, ferried the wounded to a Rawalpindi hospital and cordoned off the site so investigators could collect evidence.

Rawalpindi has endured a spate of attacks on military personnel, including officials from the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence, in recent months. Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister and opposition leader, was assassinated at a Rawalpindi political rally on Dec. 27.

Blame for most of the recent suicide attacks on security personnel has been placed on Baitullah Mehsud, a tribal militant sympathetic to the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Mr. Mehsud is from the restive South Waziristan tribal region.

Pakistan’s military has been battling tribal militants in the semiautonomous northwestern tribal areas straddling the border with Afghanistan. Retaliatory attacks by militants have been brazen and taken aim at military installations and personnel with lethal accuracy in recent month.

Nisar A. Memon, the information minister, condemned the attack in a statement carried by the state-run news agency. “Certain elements wanted to derail the democratic process by trying to carry out subversive and terrorist activities in the country,” he said. “To target innocent lives for nefarious designs shows their frustration and defeat and they should know that they cannot survive with these inhuman tactics.”

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Tags: Army, Headquarters, military, Motorbike, rawalpindi, Suicide Bomber