Blast kills two Chinese near Pakistan's Karachi airport

Two Chinese nationals were killed and at least ten others injured in a suspected suicide attack near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday night. A third body, believed to be that of the attacker, has not yet been officially identified.

The Chinese embassy in Pakistan described 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 targeted Chinese nationals in the past, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the BLA stated that they had "targeted a high-level convoy of Chinese engineers and investors" arriving from the airport, and later confirmed it was a suicide attack carried out by a member of their Majeed Brigade, named Shah Fahad.

According to reports, the attack involved a "vehicle-borne improvised explosive device." The explosion occurred around 11:00 PM local time (5:00 PM GMT) on Sunday.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack as a "heinous act" and expressed condolences to the Chinese people, reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to protecting its Chinese partners.

The Chinese embassy noted that the engineers were part of the Port Qasim Power Generation Co Ltd, which is developing two coal power plants at Port Qasim, near Karachi. Thousands of Chinese workers are currently in Pakistan, contributing to various projects under Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which includes significant infrastructure and energy developments in Balochistan, a region rich in natural resources.

The BLA and other ethnic Baloch groups have been engaged in a long-standing insurgency for a separate homeland and have frequently targeted Chinese nationals, arguing that local residents are not benefiting from the wealth generated by foreign investments.

In light of the attack, the Chinese embassy urged its citizens and businesses in Pakistan to remain vigilant and take necessary safety precautions. They also called for a thorough investigation into the incident and for the perpetrators to be held accountable.

Witnesses reported that the blast was heard across various parts of the city, with local media showing thick smoke and vehicles ablaze. A police surgeon reported that ten injured individuals, including a police constable and a woman, were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College, with one in critical condition.

Following the attack, roads leading to Jinnah International Airport were sealed off, although airport operations continued as normal on Monday. Security measures have been heightened in Pakistan as the country prepares to host the leaders' summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

This incident is part of a troubling trend, as there have been multiple attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan in recent years. The BLA has claimed responsibility for several such incidents, including a March attack on a Pakistani naval airbase near Gwadar port and an April 2022 suicide bombing that killed three Chinese tutors and a Pakistani driver near Karachi University's Confucius Institute. In November 2018, gunmen attacked the Chinese consulate in Karachi, resulting in at least four fatalities.