Twelve Killed, 50 Injured in Bomb Blast in Pakistan

At least 12 people were killed and some 50 others injured Tuesday when a bomb blasted at a fruit and vegetable bazaar in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan.

The powerful blast occurred at around 8:00 a.m. 0300 GMT when the bazaar was crowed with vegetable farmers from suburbs, according to police sources.

Shopkeepers said a big pang panicked the bazaar, which some 15,000 people visit every market day, and at least six people were killed at the spot.

The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals and an emergency was then announced in all hospitals in Islamabad and its win city Rawalpindi.

The death toll has risen to 12, said the sources.

The bomb was planted in a truck which was from the Northwest Frontier Province, the province bordering Afghanistan and home to some radical Islamic activists.

Seven drivers are under investigation and dogs were used to search possible more explosive devices, police sources said.

Senior Police Officer of Islamabad Asad Durrani didn't rule out the possibility of foreign hands behind the blast, but he refused to blame any side.

"We will not blame any side for it until the investigation is completed," he said.

No one has claimed responsibility for the gory incident.

This is the latest of a series of bomb blasts in Pakistan during the past months. Pakistan and India usually blamed each other for terrorist attacks on their soil.



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