Two Chinese Nationals Killed In Blast Near Pakistan’s Karachi Airport

Jennifer George
Jennifer George October 7, 2024

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Image Credits: Getty Images

A suspected suicide attack near Karachi airport in Pakistan led to the death of two Chinese nationals and left 10 others injured. According to the BBC, the third, officially unidentified body, is believed to be that of the attacker.

On Sunday night, the Chinese embassy in Pakistan declared the explosion a “terrorist attack” aimed at a convoy of Chinese engineers tied to a power project in Sindh province. The Chinese engineers were working on the Chinese-funded enterprise Port Qasim Power Generation Co Ltd, commissioned to build two coal power plants at Port Qasim, near Karachi. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), an Afghan militant group, is suspected to be involved in the attack due to its historic record of targeted strikes in the region.

In a statement released on Monday, the militant group claimed it had “targeted a high-level convoy of Chinese engineers and investors” arriving from Karachi airport. A subsequent announcement from the group classified the incident as a suicide attack, identifying the attacker as Shah Fahad, a member of the BLA’s Majeed Brigade. According to Reuters, the BLA stated that the attack was executed using a “vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.”

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack as a “heinous act” and offered his sincere condolences to the Chinese community that inhabited the neighboring area.

Pakistan has seen an influx of Chinese nationals into its sovereign territory as a result of China’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. The Port Qasim plant is included in the corridor, along with several infrastructure and energy projects in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which is abundant in natural resources such as gas and minerals.

The BLA, along with other ethnic Baloch groups, has targeted Chinese nationals in the past in Balochistan as a form of protest against foreign entities exploiting natural resources that belong to the Baloch people.

Dr Summaiya, a police surgeon told the local media: “Ten injured persons, including one in critical condition, have been brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College [JPMC].” In an official statement on X, the Sindh Interior Minister’s office informed that roads leading to the Jinnah International Airport will be operational as usual on Monday.

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