A convoy of Chinese engineers working at the Beijing-sponsored port of Gwadar in Pakistan was attacked by a suicide team, the Majeed Brigade, of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the AP news agency Sunday quoted an AP press release.
"The BLA Majeed Brigade today targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers in Gwadar. The attack is still ongoing," the separatist group said in a statement.
According to BLA spokesman Jeeyand Baloch, two "Fidayeans" from the BLA Majeed Brigade, Naveed Baloch alias Dasht Nigor's Aslam Baloch and Maqbool Baloch alias Qayim Baloch of Geshkor Awaran, targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers. in Gwadar today. He called the attack "a self-sacrificing operation". He added that the "ZirPahazag" campaign went on for more than two hours.
"According to the information received so far, at least four Chinese nationals and nine members of the Pakistani army have been killed and several wounded. This is preliminary information and the enemy's casualty figures are available. could increase," Jeeyand added.
According to Jeeyand, after successfully carrying out the operation, the BLA fighters chose the last bullets to end their lives.
The attack on the Chinese engineering convoy occurred at about 9:30 a.m. and a fierce gunfight went on for nearly two hours, the Balochistan Post reported. According to local media, Pakistani security forces killed two terrorists in the shooting. Two Pakistani security guards were also injured when a convoy of engineers working for a Chinese construction company was attacked on Faqeer Bridge in Gwadar.
The Balochistan Post reported, citing sources, that other terrorists fled the scene wounded.
Providing more details on the attack, the Global Times, an English-language Chinese tabloid, said the convoy consisted of three SUVs and a pickup truck, all bulletproof, carrying 23 Chinese personnel. An IED exploded during the attack and the truck was shot, creating cracks in the glass. The Chinese Consulate General in Karachi, Pakistan, issued a security alert on Sunday following the incident. The Consulate urges people to be vigilant and strictly control mass gatherings due to the serious security situation.
According to a BLA spokesperson, a detailed statement will be released to the media soon.
Notably, the port of Gwadar is one of the focal points of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with many Chinese workers working at the port. China is investing heavily in Balochistan under the CPEC framework.
