ISLAMABAD: A suicide bombing targeting a vehicle carrying Chinese nationals in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province killed two children and wounded three on Friday, including a Chinese national, the Pakistani interior ministry said.
China is a close ally and major investor in Pakistan, and various militants opposed to the Pakistani government have in the past attacked Chinese projects and citizens.
Last month, nine Chinese nationals, employed to work on the project in Dasu, were among those killed when a bus carrying them to a construction site came under attack.
Reuters reported that Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist militant organization claimed responsibility for the attack.
"BLA carried out a 'self-sacrificing' attack against a convoy of Chinese engineers," it quoted from a statement released by the group.
The interior ministry described the suicide bomber as a “young boy” who ran towards the convoy as it neared a fishermen’s colony.
“Fortunately, soldiers of Pakistan army in plain clothes employed as hang around security rushed to intercept the boy; who immediately, exploded himself about 15-20 meters away from the convoy,” the ministry said.
“Resultantly, a Chinese National got injured. He is stable and has been evacuated to nearest Gwadar Hospital. Unfortunately, two innocent children playing nearby the incident site lost their precious lives while another two children received critical injuries in the heinous act. They have been evacuated to the hospital.”
Gwadar is in the southwestern province of Balochistan, where separatist militants have waged a long-running insurgency.
The interior ministry said the Pakistani and Chinese governments were both aware of “threats posed to their cooperation and collaboration towards growth and development of their communities.”
“Cognizant of hostile designs, Government of Pakistan is already undertaking a comprehensive review of security of Chinese brothers and is committed to ensuring their safe stay in Pakistan in this journey of progress,” the ministry added. “We reaffirm our Chinese brothers our wholehearted endeavours to deal with these threats comprehensively.”
Earlier this month China said it appreciated efforts made by Pakistan to investigate the July bus blast.
Pakistan’s foreign minister has said investigations showed the attack was a suicide bombing by militants backed by Indian and Afghan intelligence agencies.
“China pays great attention to this and expresses appreciation to Pakistan's active efforts,” a Chinese spokesperson Hua Chunying was quoted by CGTN as saying, lauding “major progress” made in the investigation in a short period of time.
Further investigation by Pakistan was still ongoing, Hua had said, adding that China and Pakistan would both ensure the culprits were held accountable and brought to justice.
She said both countries would “keep strengthening security cooperation mechanisms to ensure the safety of Chinese projects, people and institutions in Pakistan.”
“China firmly opposes any force using terrorism to seek geopolitical gains and calls on countries in the region to collaborate in eradicating all terrorist organizations so as to uphold common security and development interests of all countries,” the spokesperson added.
Addressing a press conference last Thursday, Pakistani FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi said an investigation showed there was a "nexus of Indian RAW and Afghan NDS" in the attack, referring to the two countries' intelligence agencies, adding that Pakistan had data evidence to back up its determination.
Qureshi said that Pakistani Taliban militants - known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - carried out the attack.
"As per our investigation the Afghan soil was used for this incident ... about its planning and its execution, we're seeing a clear nexus between NDS and RAW," Qureshi said.
In a telegram message sent to a Reuters reporter, the TTP denied it carried out the attack.
