Nine dead in Tripoli explosion

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- An explosion targeting a bus rocked a business district in central Tripoli Wednesday morning, killing at least nine people and wounding 30 others, a senior member of Lebanon's internal security forces told CNN.

Among the dead were 7 Lebanese soldiers and 2 civilians, the source said.

Authorities said they expect the death toll to rise.

The attack took place around 8 a.m. (1 a.m. EDT) along Masarif Street in the Lebanese port city located about 40 miles (68 km) northeast of Beirut.

The civilian bus was mainly filled with military personnel, the source said. The wounded included bystanders who were not on board the bus.

The attack came hours ahead of a landmark visit by President Michel Suleiman to neighboring Syria. It's the first visit by a Lebanese president to Damascus in about three years. Suleiman will meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Lebanon and Syria have not had diplomatic relations since the two neighbors gained independence from France more than 60 years ago.

Relations between the two Arab nations have been lopsided since the 1970s, when Syria sent its army into Lebanon and retained control there for nearly 30 years.