Four children killed in Pakistan school bus shooting

13/09/11 15:33 CET

world news

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Gunmen opened fire on a school bus in north-west Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least four children and their driver.

The attack on the outskirts of Peshawar city happened as the youngsters were being driven home from school.

Some 18 people including 15 children were wounded. Many of them were as young as nine.

“We study in Khyber Model School. After classes were over, we sat in the van to go home. Suddenly there was gunfire and I got injured,” said Farhan Shah at a local hospital.

Witnesses described seeing children with shrapnel and bullet wounds, their uniforms soaked in blood.

Pashawar is close to Pakistan’s volatile border with Afghanistan. Taliban militants with links to Al Qaeda regularly carry out attacks either side of the border.

The’ve recently stepped up violence in revenge for Pakistani military offensives and the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US special forces in May.

More about: Al-Qaeda, Attack, Pakistan, Terrorism

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