Pakistani bus bombing: police question 2 men

Investigators trying to identify assailants behind a bus bombing that killed 13 people and wounded 20 in southwestern Pakistan were questioning the driver and a manager of the bus company, officials said Monday.

Photo: Pakistani bus bombing: police question 2 men

The blast ripped through the vehicle late Sunday near Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, where fighting between tribal militants and security forces has been escalating.

The bus driver and a manager of the bus company were being questioned about the identity of the attackers, who planted a bomb with a timer in the back of the vehicle, said Abdul Wahid Qazi, chief of police in Quetta district.

"We have not arrested them. They are under custody so that they can tell us something about the suspects," said Qazi, who believed the men may be able to help police in drawing composite sketches of the suspects.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, which will likely deepen concerns over the situation in Baluchistan. Local tribesmen resent the presence of security forces and demand a greater share of the revenues from the natural resources, including natural gas, extracted from their territory.

The bus bombing occurred in Kolpur, a town about 30 kilometers (20 miles) southeast of Quetta. The vehicle, carrying 50 passengers, was traveling from Quetta to the eastern city of Lahore, reports the AP.

I.L.