2 blasts rock eastern Pakistani city of Lahore

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Two explosions ripped through a crowded market in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Monday and casualties were feared, police said.

TV footage showed cars and shops on fire in the Moon Market area of the city after the blasts.

Islamist militants have carried out scores of bloody bombings in Pakistan in recent weeks as the army presses an offensive against a Taliban stronghold in the northwest close to the Afghan border.

More than 400 people have been killed in the attacks. Most have been directed at security forces, though several have targeted crowded public spaces such as markets.

Police official Shoaib Khuram said officers were at the scene of the blasts in Lahore. He said the explosions were apparently the result of bombs, but was unable to give more details.

Lahore is Pakistan’s second-largest city and is not far from the border with India. It has been hit several times by militants over the last year.