By Mubasher Bukhari
LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Two suspected suicide carbombs exploded in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Tuesday, oneoutside a government office, killing at least 20 people, policeand officials said.
Well over 500 people have been killed in Pakistan this yearin a campaign of suicide bombings which intensified aftertroops stormed a radical mosque in Islamabad in July.
One of the bombs went off outside the city-centre FederalInvestigation Agency (FIA), badly damaging the multi-storeyoffice and nearby buildings, shortly after working hours began.
"We're trying to evacuate the wounded trapped under thedebris," Tariq Pervez, the director general of the FIA, whichfocuses on illegal immigration and people smuggling, toldReuters.
The blasts came as opposition parties that won a February18 election were forming a coalition government, raising hopesfor political stability after months of turmoil over oppositionto President Pervez Musharraf.
Rizwan Baseer, the head of the provincial government'srescue agency, said 18 people had been killed in the FIA blast,in addition to the bombers.
Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz said that blast was caused bya car bomb and police said it was a suspected suicide attack.
"It was huge blast that took place near the reception ofthe building," Nawaz told Reuters.
A hospital official said about 50 people were wounded.
"FIGHT THE SCOURGE"
A second car bomb, also suspected to have been a suicideattack, went off in a mainly residential neighbourhood, about10 km (six miles) away, police said.
City administrator Mian Ejaz said it killed two children.
Police said the car had two people inside and blew up afterit was stopped at the gate of an advertising agency office.
Last week a twin-suicide bombing killed five people in anattack on a navy college in the eastern city.
Pakistan has been battling Islamist militancy since joiningthe U.S.-led campaign against terrorism after the September 11,2001, attacks on the United States.
While much of the violence has taken place in remotenorthwestern regions, suicide attacks have taken place in allof Pakistan's major cities over the past year.
Pakistani stocks opened slightly lower after the bombsheightened investors' concerns about deteriorating security,dealers said.
Musharraf condemned the blasts.
"Acts of terrorism cannot deter the government's resolve tofight the scourge with full force," the state news agencyquoted him as saying.
Also on Tuesday, cricket officials said Australia hadpostponed their planned tour of Pakistan because of securityfears.
(Additional reporting by Kamran Haider and Zeeshan Haider;Editing by Robert Birsel and Jerry Norton)
(For a Reuters blog about Pakistan please seehttp://blogs.reuters.com/pakistan)
