By Faris Ali
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Thirteen people were killedand 10 wounded in a bomb attack on an air force bus in thenorthwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday, policesaid.
There was no claim of responsibility, but Islamistmilitants based on the Afghan border have been blamed for aseries of attacks on security forces over the past year.
The attack followed days of fighting, including airstrikes, between militants and security forces in the Bajaurregion, a militant hot spot north of Peshawar. About 150militants, including a senior al Qaeda member, have beenkilled.
Tuesday's blast took place on the outskirts of Peshawar,the provincial capital, when the bus drove over a bridge on itsway to the city.
"Apparently it was an improvised explosive device that hitthe bus," North West Frontier Province police chief MalikNaveed Khan told Reuters. Peshawar is the province's capital.
Khan said the dead included air force personnel andcivilians.
A Reuters reporter at the scene said the bus had burntthrough and a hole blasted in the bridge.
Since July last year Pakistan has seen a wave of militantviolence in which hundreds of people have been killed,including many members of the security forces.
Violence subsided a coalition government led by the partyof slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was formed afterFebruary elections and opened negotiations throughintermediaries with militants.
But the lull ended and militants stepped up attacks aftertheir top leader, Baitullah Mehsud, suspended talks in June.
(Additional reporting by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by RobertBirsel)
