Two Chinese nationals killed in “terrorist attack” in Pakistan, claims Chinese embassy
Karachi: The Chinese embassy in Pakistan said that a “terrorist attack” near the international airport of Karachi, a city in southern Pakistan, claimed the lives of two Chinese nationals on Sunday, October 6. The separatist militant organization Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) stated in an email to the media that they were the ones responsible for the explosion and that they had used a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device to target Chinese personnel, including engineers.
In addition to the casualties, the explosion claimed the lives of at least ten people, according to Pakistani channel Geo News. According to a provincial official quoted by Geo News, the nature of the explosion was not immediately apparent.
An inquiry for comments was not immediately answered by Karachi police.
The Chinese Embassy strongly condemns the terrorist attack
According to the Chinese embassy, there was an incident close to the airport on a Port Qasim Electric Power Company convoy.
The statement stated, “The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan strongly condemn this terrorist attack, express deep condolences to the innocent victims of both countries and sincere sympathies to the injured and (their) families,” and it also stated that the Chinese authorities have been assisting the Pakistani authorities in the days following the incident.
The province of Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan and is situated in southwest Pakistan, is the target of the BLA’s independence movement. It carried out coordinated strikes throughout the province in August, killing around 70 people.
BLA expressly targets Chinese interests, claiming Beijing assists Islamabad in abusing the province and is particularly targeting the vital port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea. It has previously assaulted Beijing’s consulate in Karachi and murdered Chinese nationals who were employed in the area.
