A big explosion happened on a road near Karachi airport, which is Pakistan’s largest city. Two Chinese nationals were killed, and at least 10 other people were hurt in what is believed to be a suicide attack near the airport, BBC reported.
A third person, who hasn’t been identified yet, is thought to be the attacker, according to BBC. The Chinese embassy in Pakistan said the blast, which occurred on Sunday night, was a “terrorist attack” aimed at a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a power project in Sindh province.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. This group has been targeting Chinese workers in Pakistan for years, according to BBC.
In a statement, the BLA said they attacked a convoy of Chinese engineers and investors arriving from the airport. BBC explained that the BLA later described the assault as a suicide attack, and identified the attacker as Shah Fahad, a member of their suicide squad known as the Majeed Brigade.
According to Reuters, the BLA said the attack involved a vehicle packed with explosives. The explosion happened around 11:00 PM local time (5:00 PM GMT) on Sunday, BBC stated.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, called it a “terrible act” and expressed his sympathy to the Chinese people. He also said that Pakistan remains committed to protecting its Chinese friends, writing this message on X (formerly Twitter), reported by BBC.
The Chinese embassy revealed that the engineers were working for Port Qasim Power Generation Co Ltd, which is building two coal power plants near Karachi as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Thousands of Chinese workers are in Pakistan working on economic projects, and the BLA has repeatedly attacked them, stating that local ethnic Baloch people are not getting their fair share of the wealth from these projects, BBC shared.
The blast caused a loud noise across different parts of the city, and local media showed thick smoke and cars on fire. Images online revealed security officials and firefighters investigating the site, with vehicles badly burned. According to a doctor at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College, 10 injured people were brought in, including a critically hurt woman and a police officer, BBC reported.
In a statement on X, Sindh’s Interior Minister said a “tanker truck” exploded on Airport Road. Roads around the airport were blocked after the attack, but Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport continued operating on Monday as usual.
BBC mentioned that Pakistan is also boosting security as it prepares to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
The BLA has claimed responsibility for several attacks on Chinese workers in recent years. In April 2022, they killed three Chinese tutors and a Pakistani driver in a bombing near Karachi University’s Confucius Institute.
BBC also reported that in November 2018, gunmen attacked the Chinese consulate in Karachi, killing at least four people.
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r84p0dp1jo