Two suspected suicide car bombs that exploded in the Pakistani city of Lahore today killed at least 24 people, police said.
One of the bombs went off outside the city-centre Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), badly damaging the multi-storey office and nearby buildings, shortly after working hours began. The FIA focuses on illegal immigration and people smuggling.
The head of the provincial government's rescue agency said 20 people had been killed in the FIA blast, in addition to the bombers. A hospital official said about 50 people were wounded.
A second car bomb, also suspected to have been a suicide attack, went off in a mainly residential neighbourhood, about 10 km (six miles) away, killing two children, police said.
Police said the car had two people inside and blew up after it was stopped at the gate of an advertising agency office.
The bombings come as opposition parties that won a February 18th election were forming a coalition government, raising hopes for political stability after months of turmoil over opposition to President Pervez Musharraf.
Over 500 people have been killed in Pakistan this year in a campaign of suicide bombings that intensified after troops stormed a radical mosque in Islamabad in July.