Twelve killed in bus blast

A bomb explosion ripped through a passenger bus in Pakistan today, killing 12 people and wounding at least 13 others, the interior minister said.

The blast occurred in Kolpur, a town about 18 miles southeast of Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province, at the back of a bus travelling with about 50 passengers from Quetta to the eastern city of Lahore.

Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao told state-run Pakistan Television that according to initial reports 12 people were killed and 13 others injured.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, which will deepen concerns over Baluchistan, where violence between tribal militants and security forces has recently escalated in remote areas of the province.