Lebanon: Five killed in military bus bomb

At least five people were killed and another 21 injured when a car bomb exploded near a military bus carrying troops to work in northern Lebanon today, security officials said.

Most of the casualties were reported to be soldiers. It was the second attack targeting troops in northern Lebanon in more than a month.

The officials said the booby-trapped car parked on a roadside was detonated by remote control as the military bus drove at the southern entrance to the northern city of Tripoli.

The blast took place during the morning rush hour with people heading to work, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Local TV showed soldiers sealing off the area and preventing people from approaching the blast scene. The explosion shattered windows of several cars parked in the area.

It was the second bombing in less than two months targeting troops in Tripoli, which has been rocked by sectarian fighting between pro-government Sunni fighters and pro-Syrian gunmen.

On August 13, 18 soldiers and civilians were killed by a roadside bomb packed with nuts and bolts near a bus carrying troops in Tripoli. It was Lebanon’s deadliest bombing in more than three years.

Today’s explosion came two days after a massive bombing in neighbouring Syria killed 17 people and wounded 14.