Bomb at Pakistan Market Kills 24

A car bomb exploded outside a crowded market in northwestern Pakistan today, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 100. The blast, the third in as many days, appears to be the latest attack by militants avenging an army offensive along the Afghan border.

Yesterday, a suicide bomber in a rickshaw detonated his explosives near a group of policemen in Peshawar, killing three people. The day before, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a market south of Peshawar, killing 12, including a mayor who once supported but had turned against the Taliban. Pakistan's army has pitted some 30,000 troops against up to 8,000 militants in South Waziristan, including many Uzbeks and other foreign insurgents who have long taken refuge in the lawless tribal areas. (More Pakistan stories.)