Two Chinese nationals were killed, and at least ten others were injured in a suspected suicide attack near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday night. A third body, believed to be the attacker, has not yet been officially identified.
The Chinese embassy in Pakistan condemned the explosion as a “terrorist attack” aimed at a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a power project in Sindh province. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group that has previously targeted Chinese nationals involved in development projects, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement released on Monday, the militant group declared that they had “targeted a high-level convoy of Chinese engineers and investors” arriving from Karachi airport.
The BLA later identified the assailant as Shah Fahad, a member of their suicide squad known as the Majeed Brigade. They confirmed the attack was executed using a “vehicle-borne improvised explosive device,” as reported by Reuters. The explosion occurred around 23:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Sunday.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the attack as a “heinous act” and extended his condolences to the Chinese people. “Pakistan stands committed to safeguarding our Chinese friends,” he stated on X.
The Chinese embassy noted that the engineers were part of the Chinese-funded Port Qasim Power Generation Co Ltd, which is working to build two coal power plants at Port Qasim, near Karachi. Thousands of Chinese workers are currently in Pakistan, many involved in constructing an economic corridor between the two nations as part of Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. The Port Qasim plant is a significant project within this corridor, alongside numerous infrastructure and energy developments in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which is rich in natural resources, including gas and minerals.
The BLA and other ethnic Baloch groups have been engaged in a long-running insurgency for a separate homeland and have frequently targeted Chinese nationals in the region. They argue that ethnic Baloch residents are not receiving their fair share of the wealth generated from foreign investments.
On Monday, the Chinese embassy urged its citizens and enterprises in Pakistan to remain vigilant and “do their best to take safety precautions.” The embassy expressed its hope that Pakistan would conduct a thorough investigation into the attack and “severely punish the murderer.”
Reports indicate that the blast was heard in various parts of the city, with local media footage capturing thick smoke and vehicles ablaze. Images circulating online show security officials and firefighters examining the explosion site, where several cars were damaged by the blast.
A police surgeon, Dr. Summaiya, informed *Dawn News* that “ten injured persons, including one in critical condition, have been brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College [JPMC].” Among the injured are a police constable and a woman.
A statement from Sindh’s Interior Minister’s office shared on X mentioned that a “tanker truck” had exploded on Airport Road and indicated that the minister was in communication with the Malir Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) regarding the incident.
Following the attack, roads leading to Jinnah International Airport were sealed off; however, the airport continued to operate as usual on Monday. Additionally, security has been heightened across Pakistan as the country prepares to host the leaders’ summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
In recent years, there have been multiple attacks targeting Chinese nationals in Pakistan, with the BLA claiming responsibility for several incidents. This includes an attack in March on a Pakistani naval airbase near Gwadar port, another key component of the China-Pakistan economic corridor. In April 2022, the group carried out a suicide bombing that killed three Chinese tutors and a Pakistani driver near Karachi University’s Confucius Institute. Furthermore, in November 2018, gunmen attacked the Chinese consulate in Karachi, resulting in at least four fatalities.
