A suicide attack in northwest Pakistan has killed five Chinese nationals. The suicide bomber rammed the explosives-laden vehicle into the convoy which was carrying Chinese engineers from the capital Islamabad to their camp in Dasu.
So far, no one has taken responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported
Attacks on Chinese interests have risen over the past week.
Yesterday, militants tried to infiltrate the second-largest naval air station in Turbat, the second-largest city in Balochistan. The attack took place on Sunday night and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant organisation based in Afghanistan, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
As per the Balochistan Post, the Majeed Brigade of the BLA had claimed in an email said that its fighters entered the airbase. The group has from time to time opposed China’s investments in the province and has accused Beijing and Pakistan of exploiting the region’s resources.
The attack along with others in the past have raised security concerns over China’s Belt and Road initiatives, which local Baloch people have raised objections to.
The BLA had earlier described the attack as a warning to Western businesses considering investment in Gwadar. Pakistan Inter-Services Public Relations in a statement said that a group of 8 terrorists attempted to enter the port authority but were thwarted by security personnel. According to reports, the airbase is said to house Chinese drones.
Chinese and Pakistani construction workers have for several years been working on hydroelectric projects as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the western province of Khyber-Paktunkhwa.
Dasu, home to a significant dam project, has been a target of previous attacks. In 2021 an attack in Dasu resulted in the deaths of nine Chinese nationals, along with two Pakistani children. The incident took place when a bus carrying Chinese engineers and workers to the Dasu Hydropower Project site was targeted.
