Suicide bomber hits U.S. vehicle, kills 2 Pakistanis

A suicide bomber rammed a car filled with explosives into a U.S. government vehicle in northwestern Pakistan on Monday, killing two Pakistanis and wounding 19 others including two Americans, officials said. The attack in the city of Peshawar was a vivid reminder of the danger U.S. officials face while working in Pakistan, especially in the country's northwest where Taliban and al-Qaida militants are strongest. Insurgents have carried out scores of bombings in Peshawarin recent years, but attacks against American targets have been relatively rare because of the extensive security measures taken by the U.S. government. The bomber struck the armored vehicle after it left the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar and as it was traveling through an area ofthe city that hosts various international organizations, including the United Nations, said police officer Pervez Khan, who was part of the security escort for the vehicle as it moved. The attack killed two Pakistanis and wounded 19 other people, said senior police officer Javed Khan. Two Americans and two Pakistanis working at the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar were among the wounded, said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, who called the attack a "heinous act." Source: USA Today