The Chinese embassy in Pakistan reported that a “terrorist attack” killed two Chinese nationals on Sunday night. The explosion occurred near Karachi’s international airport in the country’s south.
The separatist militant group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the explosion in an email to journalists. They stated that they used a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device to target Chinese nationals, including engineers.
In addition to the casualties, the explosion claimed the lives of at least ten persons, according to Pakistani channel Geo News. According to a provincial official quoted by Geo News, the nature of the explosion was not immediately apparent.
Requests for comments were not immediately answered by Karachi police.
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.” 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 killed Chinese nationals who were employed in the area.
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