Deadly blast hits Pakistan city

At least 41 people have been killed in a bomb blast in a crowded area of the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, officials say.

More than 100 people have also been injured, a regional minister（部长） said.

Officials and witnesses said a vehicle laden（加载） with explosives had been detonated and destroyed near the city's Khyber Bazaar¹.

Friday's explosion was the latest in a series of recent bombings across north-western Pakistan.

It comes as the Pakistani army prepares an operation against the Taliban in the tribal² region of South Waziristan.


TV footage showed what appeared to be the charred³ frame of a bus destroyed by the explosion. Many of the victims of the blast were thought to be passengers.

The remains⁴ of other vehicles were strewn in the road.

"We don't know if it was a remote controlled bomb or whether a suicide bomber⁵ was involved（参与）," said North West Frontier Province information minister Iftikhar Hussain.

"Death has to come one day, but we will keep chasing these terrorists, and this attack cannot deter⁶ our resolve," he added.

A witness told Reuters news agency that they had seen bodies being pulled from a burnt vehicle.

Hours earlier, police said gunmen in Peshawar had attacked vehicles being used to take supplies to Nato forces in Afghanistan, setting them on fire and destroying them.

The blast comes days after a deadly bombing at a UN office in the Pakistani（巴基斯坦） capital, Islamabad, and less than two weeks after a double suicide car bombing in Peshawar.

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool reports from Islamabad that the Taliban has been threatening to carry out attacks unless operations against the militant⁷ group were stopped.

He says that in recent days Taliban positions in the tribal areas have been bombed by the air force, amid speculation⁸ that the army's offensive is soon to be intensified⁹.

There was a period of relative quiet in August after Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed, but the rate of attacks claimed by the group has increased since then, our correspondent adds. (本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 bazaar   

n.集市，商店集中区

参考例句：

• Chickens,goats and rabbits were offered for barter at the bazaar.在集市上，鸡、山羊和兔子被摆出来作物物交换之用。
• We bargained for a beautiful rug in the bazaar.我们在集市通过讨价还价买到了一条很漂亮的地毯。

2 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

3 charred   

v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦

参考例句：

• the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸
• The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

6 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

7 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

8 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

9 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》