A blast took place in the garrison city of Rawalpindi in Pakistan early Monday morning, leaving at least eight people dead, local TV channel Geo reported.

The bomb blast occurred in front of the national logistics cell (NLC) office at 7:15 (0215 GMT) in the morning, said the report.

Local media reports said that the blast ripped through a bus in front of the NLC office. At least eight people were killed in the blast and many others suffered injuries.

The army has cordoned off the site of the blast.

Police said that the blast was a suicide attack targeting the bus, which was carrying a total of 24 security personnel.

Rawalpindi is a garrison city around 30 kms south of the capital Islamabad. Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto was killed in gunshot and suicide bombing attacks at the gate of a park in Rawalpindi after addressing an election rally on December 27 last year.

(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2008)