Three bomb explosions injure 24 people in Pakistan

Three bombs exploded in eastern Punjab province on Monday, injuring at least 24 people, police said.

Three bombs exploded in eastern Punjab province on Monday, injuring at least 24 people, police said.

Two bombs went off within minutes of each other at a bus stop in the Badamibagh neighborhood of Lahore, the Punjab provincial capital. Fourteen people were hurt, said police.

The third bomb ripped through a crowded market in Muridke, some 18 miles northwest of Lahore, injuring 10 people.

No one has claimed responsibility. Police have no suspects in custody.

The initial bomb explosions in Lahore sent dozens of people fleeing into the streets in panic. Fire and smoke billowed from burning vehicles, while people scattered in search of cover, said witnesses.

Many of the victims suffered burn injuries, doctors said.

Initial reports from police said the bombs were hidden in luggage that had been abandoned.

There were few details about the explosions in Muridke, which is also the headquarters of one of the larger Kashmiri militant groups, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba.

Police said there was no immediate connection between the explosion and the militant group, but an investigation was underway.

There have been a series of bomb explosions in major cities throughout Pakistan in recent months, causing dozens of casualties.

Pakistan routinely blames the explosions, particularly in eastern Punjab province, on uneasy neighbor India. In turn, India accuses Pakistan of fomenting violence on its territory, specifically its violence-wracked Jammu-Kashmir state.

Both countries deny the charges.