Pakistan suicide bomb attack: Five Chinese nationals, local driver killed en route to Dasu

Pakistan Suicide Bomb Attack: Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into the vehicle carrying Chinese engineers and workers. This is the third such attack in the last few weeks in Pakistan.

The incident took place on in Shangla district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Bakhat Zahir, local police chief, quoted by news agency AFP said that those killed were construction workers and engineers heading to the Dasu Dam. It is the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan. The bodies have been transported to a nearby hospital.

The security froces have launched a search operation in the area to look for the attackers, the report said. The Pakistani Taliban has been increasing attacks on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which borders Afghanistan.

Last week, eight “Baluchistan Liberation Army” militants were killed by Pakistani security forces after they opened fire on a convoy carrying Chinese citizens outside the Gwadar port. The port is Chinese-funded and is located in the southwestern Baluchistan province.

The BLA militants want independence from the Pakistani government.

In a statement, the country's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi offered condolences to the families of the deceased.

He said, "The enemy has targeted Chinese citizens who are the friends of Pakistan." He did not elaborate who he was referring to but vowed to "deal with an iron hand" those responsible, and expressed hope the attack wouldn't negatively impact Pakistani-Chinese relations.

Naqvi also visited China's embassy in Islamabad, where he briefed the Chinese ambassador, Jiang Zaidong, about the attack. Naqvi also promised a full investigation.

The report by AFP said that thousands of Chinese nationals work on projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The CPEC includes several projects like as road construction, power plants and agriculture. Experts consider CPEC as a lifeline for Pakistan's cash-strapped economy. The CPEC is a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

However, several Chinese laborers who are working on projects related to CPEC have been facing increased attacks in recent years.

In July 2021, at least 13 people, were killed in a suicide attack. Out of these, nine were Chinese nationals.

(With agency inputs)