5 Chinese nationals killed in another suicide bomb attack in Pakistan
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and asserted, "Forces hostile to Pakistan will never succeed in harming Pakistan-China friendship."
- Mar 26, 2024,
- Updated Mar 26, 2024 5:05 PM IST
Five Chinese nationals and a local were killed in an attack by a suicide bomber on their convoy in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dawn reported on Tuesday. The attack took place when the alleged bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers which was on its way from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and asserted, "Forces hostile to Pakistan will never succeed in harming Pakistan-China friendship."
China, an all-weather friend of Islamabad, has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Reuters reported that the convoy was carrying staff of the construction firm China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) working on the Dasu hydropower project - the same company targeted in 2021.
Dasu, the site of a major dam, has come under attack in the past as well. In 2021, a blast on a bus killed had 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals. Pakistan, at the time, paid millions in compensation to the families of the Chinese workers killed.
In May 2021, a burqa-clad Baloch woman suicide bomber killed four people, including three Chinese nationals, in an attack on a minibus carrying staff from the China-built Confucius Institute at Karachi University. The same year, in April 2021, a suicide bomb attack at a luxury hotel hosting the Chinese ambassador in Quetta killed four and wounded dozens.
Insurgent groups in Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan, want independence from Pakistan. They fear that mega infrastructure projects constructed by China will allow Islamabad to exploit the province's natural resources and will deprive them of their rights.
In August last year, a convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked in Balochistan by armed rebels, and an intense gunfight ensued between the rebels and Pakistani security forces for hours.
Last night, armed Baloch militants tried to infiltrate one of the main naval air bases in Balochistan. Eyewitnesses reported they had heard gunfire and explosions throughout the night. The army said the insurgents attempted to attack Pakistan Naval Base on the night of March 25/26.
This was the third major attack on security forces and installations this year in Balochistan. On March 24, the Balochistan Liberation Army attacked the Gwadar Port Authority Complex, which is being developed by China.
Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting the $60 billion CPEC projects.
(With inputs from PTI)
Five Chinese nationals and a local were killed in an attack by a suicide bomber on their convoy in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dawn reported on Tuesday. The attack took place when the alleged bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers which was on its way from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and asserted, "Forces hostile to Pakistan will never succeed in harming Pakistan-China friendship."
China, an all-weather friend of Islamabad, has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Reuters reported that the convoy was carrying staff of the construction firm China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) working on the Dasu hydropower project - the same company targeted in 2021.
Dasu, the site of a major dam, has come under attack in the past as well. In 2021, a blast on a bus killed had 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals. Pakistan, at the time, paid millions in compensation to the families of the Chinese workers killed.
In May 2021, a burqa-clad Baloch woman suicide bomber killed four people, including three Chinese nationals, in an attack on a minibus carrying staff from the China-built Confucius Institute at Karachi University. The same year, in April 2021, a suicide bomb attack at a luxury hotel hosting the Chinese ambassador in Quetta killed four and wounded dozens.
Insurgent groups in Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan, want independence from Pakistan. They fear that mega infrastructure projects constructed by China will allow Islamabad to exploit the province's natural resources and will deprive them of their rights.
In August last year, a convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked in Balochistan by armed rebels, and an intense gunfight ensued between the rebels and Pakistani security forces for hours.
Last night, armed Baloch militants tried to infiltrate one of the main naval air bases in Balochistan. Eyewitnesses reported they had heard gunfire and explosions throughout the night. The army said the insurgents attempted to attack Pakistan Naval Base on the night of March 25/26.
This was the third major attack on security forces and installations this year in Balochistan. On March 24, the Balochistan Liberation Army attacked the Gwadar Port Authority Complex, which is being developed by China.
Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting the $60 billion CPEC projects.
(With inputs from PTI)