A day after the deadly attack on Chinese engineers in Gwadar, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), who claimed responsibility for the aggression, has announced the completion of the third phase of its “Operation Zir Pehazag” and gave 90 days ultimatum to Beijing to vacate the place and their developmental projects from the region.
Citing Jeeyand Baloch, the BLA’s spokesperson, The Balochistan Post said that they started the operation at around 9:18 am on Sunday when a convoy of engineers carrying Chinese engineers and was under heavy security, including personnel from the Pakistan Army, Police, ATF, and an armoured vehicle.
BLA claims 4 Chinese engineers killed
Although neither Pakistan nor Chinese governments admitted that their citizens were killed in the attack, BLA spokesman claimed at least four Chinese nationals and eleven Pakistani military personnel were killed, with several others injured.
The BLA’s statement also voiced their opposition to Beijing’s projects, like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the region and gave an ultimatum of the next three months to withdraw their citizens from Balochistan or prepare for intensified attacks on its “key interests” in the region.
“We have cautioned China repeatedly to reconsider its activities in Balochistan," the statement read. It is worth mentioning China has invested massively in the region amid the fact the province is minerally rich. BLA views such endeavours as acts of exploitation, stating that any foreign investments in the region.
China's response to the Gwadar attack
The Embassy and the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi strongly condemned, and asked the Pakistani side to severely punish the attackers and to take practical and effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals, institutions and projects, reported Chinese state media Global Times.
According to the report, the Chinese Embassy and Consulate General urged Chinese nationals in Pakistan to maintain high vigilance, safeguard life and property safety, and strictly control large-scale gathering activities due to the severe security situation.
However, it maintained that China will continue to work with Pakistan to jointly address the threat of terrorism and effectively protect the security of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan.
Also Read: Pakistan: 2 terrorist killed after Chinese convoy attacked in Balochistan
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