Dozens die in Kabul bus bombing

At least 35 police officers died after their bus was hit by a suicide bomber in the Afghan capital, Kabul, senior officer Ali Shah Paktiawal has said.

Witness Mohammad Hasiz told the BBC it happened close to police headquarters in the city centre at rush hour.

All roads into the area, also home to the interior ministry, have been shut.

It is the fifth bomb attack in the last three days, one of which was in Kabul, but the BBC's Bilal Sarwary there says such attacks in the city are unusual.

The deputy chief of police told the BBC that a man blew himself up on board the bus, which was carrying instructors from the police academy.

It is the deadliest attack of its kind since the toppling of the Taleban in 2001.

The bus was completely destroyed in the blast, which also damaged other vehicles and may have caused injuries amongst the many pedestrians on the street.

The city saw another suicide attack at exactly the same time on Saturday morning. That incident on the outskirts caused at least three deaths.

The past two days have also seen suicide attacks in the north and south of the country.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6760791.stm