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Kabul: A convoy transporting Chinese nationals in northwest Pakistan was the target of a suicide bombing, resulting in the deaths of five Chinese citizens and their Pakistani driver, as confirmed by a senior police official quoted in Pakistani media.
The attack took place as a vehicle laden with explosives struck the convoy of Chinese engineers traveling from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, stated Mohammad Ali Gandapur, the regional police chief, on Tuesday.
Dasu, the location of a significant dam project, has witnessed previous instances of violence, including a bus explosion in 2021 that claimed the lives of 13 individuals, nine of whom were Chinese nationals.
In response to the incident, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police launched relief efforts to ensure the safety of the remaining convoy members, as confirmed by Gandapur.
This violence occurred shortly after an assault on a Pakistan naval airbase in Turbat, southwestern Pakistan, where armed militants killed at least one paramilitary soldier. Security forces promptly intervened, eliminating all five attackers, officials reported on Tuesday.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group from Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the naval base attack. The BLA has previously targeted Pakistani and Chinese interests, highlighting the ongoing separatist conflict in the area.
China’s investments in Balochistan, including the development of the Gwadar port, are part of the broader China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a significant aspect of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. The region’s strategic significance is underscored by its abundant mineral resources and geopolitical position, bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
The astonishing moment when the bridge, which sits 180 feet above the river, collapsed was caught on camera. Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, called the situation ‘a dire emergency.’
Around 30,000 vehicles use the bridge, which is named for the writer of the Star Spangled Banner, every day. It opened in 1977.
