Convoy of Chinese language engineers attacked close to Pakistan’s Gwadar, 2 terrorists killed
NEW DELHI: A seven-vehicle convoy carrying 23 Chinese language engineers to the Beijing-financed Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s southwest got here below assault from the Balochistan Liberation Military (BLA) separatists on Sunday.
The ambush befell round 9.30am and lasted for over 2 hours.
Explosions and gunfire may very well be heard throughout the port metropolis of Gwadar, the place all roads stay closed for site visitors.
“BLA Majeed Brigade right now focused a convoy of Chinese language engineers in Gwadar,” the separatist group mentioned in an announcement, including that two of their ‘fidayeen’ fighters have been concerned within the assault.
Guarantee strict motion: Chinese language embassy asks Pakistan
No accidents have been reported throughout the convoy, China’s World Instances mentioned, citing unidentified “Chinese language personnel” in Gwadar.
The Chinese language engineers have been travelling in bulletproof autos.
In the meantime, Chinese language consulates in Pakistan have issued orders for its residents in Balochistan and Sindh to stay inside their residences until additional orders.
Later within the day, in a strongly worded assertion, the Chinese language embassy in Pakistan requested “Pakistani authorities to conduct a radical investigation on the assault, severely punish the perpetrators, take sensible and efficient measures to forestall comparable incidents from taking place once more.”
The assertion mentioned the Chinese language consulate common “has activated the contingency plan as quickly as attainable, reminding native Chinese language residents, enterprises, and tasks to be vigilant, improve safety measures, stop safety dangers, and pay shut consideration to the safety scenario to make sure security”.
‘2 terrorists killed’
The Inter-Companies Public Relations (ISPR) mentioned in an announcement that the terrorists carried out the assault utilizing small arms and hand grenades.
“As a result of environment friendly and swift response, two terrorists have been despatched to hell with no hurt to any army or civil individuals,” the assertion mentioned, with the army expressing its resolve to “thwart efforts of the enemies of peace and prosperity within the nation”.
Not the primary time
Varied Baloch militant teams have claimed assaults on tasks linked to the China-Pakistan Financial Hall (CPEC) mission up to now, with hundreds of safety personnel deployed to counter threats in opposition to Beijing’s pursuits.
- Three Chinese language teachers and their Pakistani driver have been killed when a lady suicide bomber detonated her machine as they have been driving into the College of Karachi’s Confucius Institute in April 2022. The BLA claimed duty for that assault.
- A yr earlier, 5 individuals have been killed in an assault claimed by Pakistan’s Taliban at a luxurious resort internet hosting the Chinese language ambassador in Quetta.
- Additionally in 2021, 12 individuals — together with 9 Chinese language staff — have been killed by a blast aboard a bus carrying employees to the Dasu dam website.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s least populous province however wealthy in mineral sources.
Baloch individuals have lengthy complained they don’t get a fair proportion of the province’s earnings, giving rise to greater than a dozen separatist teams.
The CPEC mission is the cornerstone of Beijing’s large Belt and Highway Initiative and seeks to hyperlink China’s western Xinjiang province to Gwadar port within the southwest.
Since its initiation, CPEC has seen tens of billions of {dollars} funnelled into large transport, power and infrastructure tasks.
Chinese language Vice Premier He Lifeng was within the Pakistan capital final month to mark the tenth anniversary of the mission.
(With inputs from companies)
