2 killed, 14 injured in blast in northwest Pakistan

A Muhammad

Peshawar, Jan 19 (PTI) Two persons were killed and 14others, including seven students injured when a bomb plantedin a horse cart used to carry children went off outside aschool today in this northwestern Pakistani city, police said.

The bomb was planted in a horse cart and it went offnear a school building, a top police official was quoted assaying by local media reports.

The explosion occurred this morning near theprivately-run school in Nauthia town, a congestedneighbourhood within Peshawar cantonment, they said.

The dead included a passer-by and the owner of thehorse cart. The condition of two injured persons wasdescribed by officials as critical.

The injured were taken to Lady Reading Hospital.

The bomb, which contained five kilogrammes ofexplosives, was triggered by remote control, SpecialSuperintendent of Police Muhammad Ejaz Khan told reporters.

Other officials said the casualties would have beenhigher had the bomb exploded half an hour later, when thestudents began arriving at the school.

Two suspects were arrested by police near the site ofthe blast and taken to an undisclosed location forinterrogation.

No group claimed responsibility for the blast.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned theterrorist attack and said such cowardly acts targetinginnocent citizens, particularly children, "explain theideology of the terrorists".

He asked the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government to ensurethe best medical treatment of the injured and directedsecurity agencies to enhance vigil on the activities ofextremist elements.

Khyber-Pakthunkhwa Senior Minister Bashir AhmedBilour, who supervised rescue operations at the site of theblast, told the media that the attack was part of a plot tocreate unrest among people.

Militants will not be allowed to shatter thegovernment''s firm resolve to wipe out militancy and terrorism,he said.