KARACHI, Pakistan (Diya TV) — A terror attack near Jinnah International Airport in Pakistan took two lives of Chinese nationals and one Pakistani citizen, while ten others were injured. The attack took place on Sunday night at 11 pm when a Chinese engineers convoy was fired upon while they were busy working on the power project at Port Qasim, one of the key investments under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The BLA, a separatist Baloch Liberation Army, has accepted responsibility for the attack through the media. It described it as a suicide bombing by one of its operatives from the Majeed Brigade. A VBIED hit the convoy when it was leaving the airport and caused widespread destruction. Several vehicles caught fire and were cordoned off by security forces for investigations.
Chinese engineers have been an easy target of the BLA due to their involvement in infrastructure projects in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, from which the separatist group sees it necessary to wrest independence. The embassy slammed the attack and urged further security measures for Chinese workers working in the country.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the attack as a “heinous act,” asking the authorities to make further efforts in bringing the culprits into justice. “Pakistan will do whatever is needed for protecting Chinese workers, as China is working with Pakistan for its economic development,” he said. Thousands of Chinese nationals are seen in Sindh and Balochistan working on vital infrastructure, including energy projects.
This, on top of a recent threat from the pernicious insurgency, has heightened security concerns, but Pakistan is scheduled to host a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional security grouping led by China and Russia. Amid threats from the vicious insurgency, the government of Pakistan tried to reassure its Chinese hosts that it still harbors a commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of their citizens.
This is the latest in a series of attacks by Baloch separatists against Chinese nationals, including in 2022 a suicide bombing at the University of Karachi that killed three Chinese teachers. BLA has already committed other assaults on the Chinese consulate in Karachi and several infrastructure projects connected to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The authorities are now investigating the issue. The forensic teams are doing all they can to identify the bomber and the vehicle used in the attack. The security forces also increased their patrols in the areas of the key Chinese projects, hoping to prevent more attacks.