Via reuters.com -
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers struck near the heart of the Pakistani military on Tuesday, killing 25 people and wounding 70, many of them Defence Ministry staff on their way to work in the city of Rawalpindi.
The blasts come at a time of rising militant violence and deepening political uncertainty in Pakistan, with the army chief and president, General Pervez Musharraf, preparing to try to secure a new term and his opponents vowing to end his rule.
The government dismissed speculation the blasts could lead to declaration of an emergency and postponement of presidential and parliamentary elections due in coming weeks and months.
There was no claim of responsibility but the Interior Ministry said evidence pointed to al Qaeda-linked militants who are battling security forces near the Afghan border.
One bomb blew up a bus carrying Defence Ministry staff about a kilometer (half a mile) from army headquarters, said military spokesman Major-General Waheed Arshad.
The second went off in a market area of Rawalpindi, the sister city of Islamabad where Musharraf and many other top military officials live and where Islamabad's international airport is located.
"Both were suicide bombings but I have no detail about how they were carried out," Arshad said.
No comments:
Post a Comment