Karachi/Islamabad: Two terrorists were killed by Pakistani security forces Sunday when they attacked a military convoy carrying Chinese workers in the port city of Gwadar in the restive Balochistan province, officials said.
Gwadar is one of the focal points of the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with many Chinese workers working at the port. China is investing heavily in Balochistan under the CPEC.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, the terrorists attacked at 10 am, using small arms and hand grenades.
“However, due to the efficient and swift response, two terrorists were sent to hell with no harm to any military or civil persons,” the ISPR said.
It said the military expressed its resolve to “thwart efforts of the enemies of peace and prosperity in the country”. There was no mention of any attack on Chinese workers in the statement.
The Baloch Liberation Army – Majeed Brigade, a militant group active in Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.
While Pakistani officials tried to downplay the Gwadar attack as just a terrorist act, the Chinese embassy in Islamabad demanded a “thorough investigation” into the attack on a convoy carrying Chinese citizens in the port city.
A statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan stated that a convoy carrying Chinese citizens was attacked near the port of Gwadar but the “incident caused no casualties on the Chinese side, and the relevant personnel have been properly placed in safety”.
The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan strongly condemned the terrorist act.
“The Embassy and the Consulate General in Karachi launched an emergency response immediately, requesting the Pakistani authorities to conduct a thorough investigation on the attack, severely punish the perpetrators, and take practical and effective measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” it read.
It also said that China will continue to work with the Pakistani side, to jointly counter the threats of terrorism and earnestly protect the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions, and projects in Pakistan.
Given the current security situation, the Chinese Embassy reminds Chinese citizens in Pakistan to be vigilant and take preventive measures against security risks, to ensure the safety of their lives and property, it said.
Earlier, media outlets in Quetta reported that a convoy of Chinese engineers came under attack as they were passing through the main Gwadar town but reports said they had escaped any casualties or injuries.
An earlier statement by the ISPR said security forces launched an operation after the inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area, killing one militant and injuring three others.
Former president Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack on the convoy and stressed the need to eliminate terrorists.
“I strongly condemn the heinous terror attack on the Chinese workers convoy in Gwadar. Thankfully, no loss of life happened, but there are reports that the ambush has been repulsed and the attackers have been killed,” Senator Sarfraz Bugti said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“The ruptures within the militants’ fold are getting wider by the day as our armed forces are courageously thwarting their nefarious designs. There is no reprieve for anyone who casts an evil eye on Pakistan,” he added.
Attacks on Chinese nationals working on the CPEC have been carried out in the past by banned separatist groups and militants particularly in or near Gwadar.
Militants and separatists have even targeted Chinese nationals working or doing business in Karachi in the past.
In a similar incident, one soldier was killed and four terrorists were shot dead during clashes in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P)’s Bajaur District on Saturday night.
The ISPR said that the army conducted an intelligence-based operation in Charmang, Bajaur District on the reported presence of terrorists.
It added that weapons, ammunition, and explosives, including a suicide vest, were also recovered from the militants.
Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have carried out several attacks targeting the CPEC projects in the region in recent times.
Pakistan has seen an uptick in terror activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.
The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007.
Last month, as many as 12 soldiers of the Pakistan Army were killed in separate military operations in the Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan. This was the military’s highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year.
PTI