(MY041) Bombs against Pakistan police, govt workers kill 8

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan – Two bombs targeting police and government workers killed up to eight people and wounded scores more Thursday — latest attacks to hit Pakistan as it battles Taliban insurgents near the border with Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, a prominent militant commander in the northwest reportedly agreed to halt attacks on security forces there, a move that could help the army in its efforts to eliminate the Taliban leadership in the region.

The deadliest bombing took place in Rawalpindi, which lies next to the capital and is home to the headquarters of Pakistan's military

A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle slammed into a bus carrying defense department employees, killing up to six people and injuring 25 more, senior police official Rana Shahid said. A senior intelligence official told The Associated Press that the bus was carrying employees of the Pakistani military's weapons-making department.