42 People Blown to Pieces in Bus in Pakistan

Sectarian violence in Pakistan leaves 42 dead

Quetta, Pakistan . - At least 42 people were killed Sunday in Pakistan in attacks related to extremist militants. A suicide bomber aboard a car bomb unit crashed against a bus carrying Shiite pilgrims killing at least 19 people, an official said.

Also Sunday, authorities found the bodies of 21 tribal policemen were kidnapped by suspected Taliban in Peshawar, the chaotic tribal region of northwest. Since last Thursday had disappeared 23 officers and two are seriously injured.

Pakistan suffered in the year to an increase in violent killings attributed to radical Sunnis consider Shiites heretics. The violence has been worst in Baluchistan province, where the attack occurred on the bus.

Tufail Ahmed, a local politician, said 25 people were injured and many are in delicate condition. The explosion also damaged another bus of Shiites that was close.

A witness, who was traveling in the second bus and he declined to identify, told Geo television that 40 pilgrims were heading to neighboring Iran, a popular destination for religious tourism among Shiites.

Shiites represent about 15 percent of the 190 million Pakistanis. They have long been targeted by Sunni extremists and sectarian campaign has worsened in recent years. Human Rights Watch said that this year killed 300 Shiites in Pakistan.

Sunday also reported that two soldiers were killed by a bomb planted on a road in the tribal area of ​​North Waziristan, a stronghold of Taliban militants and al-Qaida.