Suicide Blasts Rock Rawalpindi

Two suicide bombers struck within minutes of each other in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi today, killing up to 35 people and adding fuel to the political crisis that grips Pakistan. An explosives-laden van rammed a bus carrying Pakistani intelligence agents, leaving it a charred hulk. Another bomber hit a nearby army checkpoint almost simultaneously, the Washington Post reports.

While the army confirmed 15 dead, estimates from other Pakistani officials ranged up to 35. "I don't think anybody inside the bus could have survived," a witness to the blast told AFP. The bombings follow dozens of recent attacks by Islamic militants, a threat President Musharraf cited in declaring a state of emergency Nov. 3. (More Pakistan stories.)