16 Dec 2009

Market car bomb kills 20

6:46 am on 16 December 2009

A car bomb has exploded in the central Pakistani town of Dera Ghazi Khan, killing at least 20 people.

The blast was at a market near the home of a provincial politician and it's believed he was the target.

His house was badly damaged, although he was not there at the time.

The BBC reports an emergency has been declared at all hospitals in the area.

The town is close to the region where Pakistan's army is carrying out an offensive against the Taliban.