TERRORISM Bombs kill at least 39 in Pakistan

An attack left 31 dead at a Shiite mosque less than a week ago.
MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) -- Two bombs planted in a car and motorcycle exploded at a gathering of Sunni Muslim radicals in central Pakistan before dawn today, killing at least 39 people and wounding about 100 others. Police suspected it was a sectarian attack.
About 2,000 angry Sunnis gathered outside a hospital where victims of the explosions in the city of Multan were taken, shouting "Shiites are infidels!" and slogans against the government, witnesses said.
The bombings came less than a week after a suicide attack left 31 dead at a Shiite mosque in an eastern city.
About 3,000 people had gathered in a residential area of Multan to mark the anniversary of the death of the leader of the outlawed Sunni radical group Sipah-e-Sahaba killed in an attack last year.
A car bomb exploded near the venue as people were starting to disperse after the overnight meeting, and two minutes later a second bomb attached to a motorcycle went off, deputy city Police Chief Arshad Hameed said.
"It seems to be an act of sectarian terrorism, but we are still investigating," he told The Associated Press.
Victims
Officials at the Nishtar government hospital said at least 39 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded, about 50 seriously. Some 50 others were treated for minor injuries and later discharged. Other people were taken to other clinics.
Pools of blood and shoes of the victims were scattered at the scene, near the charred remains of the car.
Jamil Usmani, 26, who had been standing in a nearby parking lot with friends, said a stampede after the bombing caused many injuries.
"The explosion numbed our ears. We saw people falling on each other -- everybody was crying, everybody was running," he said. "Many people were injured in the stampede. We started picking them up and asked passing cars for help."
Talat Mahmood Tariq, police chief for Multan region, said the car bomb, estimated to weigh about 15 pounds, was set off by remote control and most injuries were caused by flying metal from the vehicle.