Separate bomb blasts have killed more than 20 people in Pakistan Thursday - as the country braces for more violence. A wave of deadly attacks in recent days has left at least 140 people dead and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on the defensive. From Islamabad, VOA Correspondent Benjamin Sand reports.
The first bomb ripped through a crowded marketplace in Hub, Baluchistan - a restive province in southern Pakistan Thursday morning. Officials say the blast occurred as a police-escorted convoy of Chinese engineers was passing through the area.
Meanwhile a car bomber in northern Pakistan targeted a police training center in Hangu killing at least seven people.
Militants have vowed bloody revenge after government commandos stormed a radical, pro-Taleban mosque in Islamabad last week.
State Minister of Information Tariq Azim says Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has no intention of backing down.
"He's as determined as ever. Suicide attacks will not deter him. He's as determined to fight terrorists as he always has been," Azim said.
Despite the surging violence, Mr. Musharraf Wednesday insisted he would not declare a state of emergency.
