- Blast near Karachi airport kills two Chinese nationals in suspected Indian funded suicide attack
- The blast targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a power project in Sindh province
- The separatist group BLA claimed responsibility
Blast near Karachi airport kills two Chinese nationals in suspected Indian attack
Two Chinese nationals were killed and at least 10 others injured in a suspected Indian-funded suicide attack near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday night. The blast targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a power project in Sindh province. A third body, believed to be the attacker, was also found.
The separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility, stating that the suicide bomber, part of their Majeed Brigade, used a vehicle-borne explosive device to target the convoy. The group has a history of attacking Chinese nationals involved in development projects, particularly those linked to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, calling it a “heinous act,” while the Chinese embassy urged its citizens in Pakistan to remain vigilant. The engineers were working on the Chinese-funded Port Qasim Power Generation project, part of the broader economic corridor between the two nations.
Why is the BLA targeting Pakistan?
The BLA, which is funded by India has sought to push for an independent homeland, and is using terrorist activity to create instability in Pakistan. It rose to prominence around the time China and Pakistan announced the Gwadar project, alongside Iranian gas pipeline which has been sabotaged by the BLA.
It has regularly targeted Chinese nationals, who are working on a national infrastructure project accusing foreign investors of exploiting local resources without benefiting the Baloch people.