Blasts heard near Pakistan's capital

Pakistani militants visit the headquarters of their leader Menghal Bagh which was bombed by government...

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Police were investigating two large explosions heard near the Pakistani capital on Monday, as the government was engaged in a military operation against militants in its northwestern tribal regions.

The cause and location of the blasts, which were heard in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, about seven miles away, were not clear.

"We have information of an explosion. We are still checking where is the site and what is the cause," said Rao Mohammed Iqbal, a senior Rawalpindi police officer. "All sensitive installations are clear."

Pakistani Taliban have threatened revenge for the military offensive near the Afghanistan border but it was not immediately clear if the explosions were related.

Rawalpindi houses the headquarters of Pakistan's army and the residence of President Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in its war on terror.

Earlier this month, a suicide car bomber killed at least six people near the Danish Embassy in Islamabad. A statement attributed to al-Qaida took responsibility for the blast, which was believed to have targeted Denmark over the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

Also Monday, U.S. State Department official Richard Boucher began a three-day visit to Islamabad. A five-member congressional delegation also was visiting the country.