A Chinese convoy carrying 23 engineers was attacked in the Gwadar area of Pakistan's Balochistan on Sunday, reported news agency ANI. According to the Global Times, the incident took place near the Gwadar police station when the convoy was attacked with an IED. Following this, there was an exchange of fire between terrorists and security forces killing two terrorist.
Global Times on the social media platform ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter shared a video and informed about the incident. The van which was part of the convoy was shot at creating cracks in the glass. Further details of the incident are awaited.
However, Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, a senator and former provincial interior minister took to X and wrote, "I strongly condemn the heinous terror attack on 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."
Gwadar port 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.
(With inputs from agencies)
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