Suicide bomb hits Pakistani bus
 

[B][SIZE=5]Suicide bomb hits Pakistani bus[/SIZE][/B]

[SIZE=2][IMG]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44034000/gif/_44034294_pak_sargodha_map203.gif[/IMG]
[B]A suicide bomber has rammed a motorcycle into a bus carrying air force employees in Pakistan's Punjab province, killing eight officials.[/B]
Authorities say about 40 others are wounded in the attack.
It took place near the city of Sargodha, which is home to the largest air force base in the country.
Violence has soared in Pakistan since troops stormed the radical Red Mosque in the capital, Islamabad, in July, with the deaths of at least 100 people.
After Thursday's bombing, military spokesman Waheed Arshad said: "It was a suicide attack and the target was the bus which was carrying the air force officials."
Maj-Gen Waheed called it "an act of terrorism" and said the victims had been heading for duty.
[B]Violent attacks[/B]
July's assault on the Red Mosque was launched after its clerics and students had waged a campaign to enforce strict Sharia law in Islamabad.
Ever since the operation, troops have often been the target of violent attacks.
The most recent took place two days ago at a police checkpoint near army headquarters of President General Pervez Musharraf in the city of Rawalpindi.
Some analysts say militants with links to the Taleban and al-Qaeda saw the Red Mosque raid as the beginning of a serious army clampdown against them and decided to strike back, the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad reports. Pro-Taleban forces are also challenging state authority in the Swat valley of north-western Pakistan, she says.
[/SIZE][URL="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7072428.stm"]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7072428.stm[/URL]