By Xinhua,
Beirut : A car bomb hit a military bus in North Lebanon on Monday morning, leaving at least 5 soldiers dead and 24 others wounded, local al-Manar TV reported.
The bomb, placed in a Renault car at the southern entrance of Tripoli in North Lebanon, ripped through a military bus as it was heading toward the capital Beirut at 7:45 am (545 GMT) during the morning rush-hours, according to the TV report.
The bus, with up to 24 troops on board, was hurled away about a dozen meters, and the car which contained the explosives was completely burned, reported another TV channel LBC.
As there was no immediate claim of responsibility, the police and army troops sealed off the area and forensic experts began gathering evidence, according to the TV report.
Most local comment on the attack said it was aimed at undermining the army’s bid to secure Tripoli which has been the scene of deadly sectarian violence in recent months when Sunni supporters of the government fought with opposition backed Alawites.
However, the Lebanese army also fought last year 15-weeks battle with al-Qaida inspired Fattah al-Islam militia in the Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli, leaving 400 people dead, including 168 army soldiers.
The head of Fattah al-Islam, Shaker al-Abssi who escaped the fighting, vowed earlier this year to revenge from the Lebanese army.
Earlier in August, an explosion also targeted a bus carrying Lebanese army soldiers in Tripoli. Some 14 soldiers were killed in the attack.
Tension in Lebanon’s northern regions eased dawn in the past few weeks after the country’s rival factions signed a reconciliation accord aimed at putting an end to the last 4 months clashes which left 23 people killed.
But the Monday morning explosion raised speculations about the security situation there.
In a statement, the Lebanese army described the bombing as a “terrorist attack aimed at undermining peace and stability efforts.”
“Once again a treacherous hand strikes the military establishment in a terrorist attack aimed at undermining efforts at peace and stability,” said the army statement.
Sunni majority leader Saad Hariri held that the Monday blast aims at weakening the state.
Shiite parliament Speaker Nabih Berri denounced that the bombing attack “aimed at scuttling measures towards reconciliation.”
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman vowed Monday that “terrorism which is hitting the military establishment will not terrorize us, but will make us more determined to establish national reconciliation.”