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At least 10 dead after Laos bus attacked
At least 10 people were killed and around 30 injured after unidentified gunmen attacked a bus full of students in Laos, early Sunday morning local time, diplomatic sources say. The attack occurred on route 13 between the Laotian capital Vientiane and the ancient northern city of Luang Prabang. According to a western source in northern Laos, the bus drivers say the vehicle was carrying students travelling from Phongsaly in the far north who were travelling back to Vientiane after new year celebrations. One of the drivers says the bullets from the gunmen had hit the bus' petrol tank, which had exploded, the Western source added.
I have no idea what the genesis of this one might be. As far as I know, Laos has no Muslims at all, much less Islamists. There were isolated groups of Hmong tribesmen who weren't reconciled to the government back in the 70s, but I thought they'd be either wiped out or run out by now. There's always been a certain amount of banditry in the country, but a school bus doesn't sound like really lucrative pickings...

Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-04-21
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=13316