An explosion near the international airport in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi killed two Chinese nationals and injured several others, officials from both countries said.
Police and the provincial government said a tanker exploded outside Pakistan’s largest airport on Sunday night. Local broadcaster Geo News, citing state officials, said the nature of the explosion was not immediately clear.
The separatist militant group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said in a statement emailed to journalists that the blast targeted “a high-level convoy of Chinese engineers and investors” coming from China. , claimed that the attack was carried out by them using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. Karachi airport.
The Chinese embassy in Pakistan said a convoy carrying Chinese employees of Qasim Port Power Company was attacked at around 11 p.m. The authorities condemned it as a “terrorist attack” and called for a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“The Chinese embassy and consulate general in Pakistan strongly condemn this terrorist attack, express deep condolences to the innocent victims of both countries, and extend our heartfelt sympathies to the injured and their families,” the statement said. mentioned in.
Video showed flames engulfing the car and a column of thick smoke rising from the scene. A large-scale military deployment took place at the scene and the area was cordoned off.
Local official Azfar Mahesar told reporters it appeared to be an oil tanker explosion. “We are determining the nature and reason of the explosion. It will take time.” A police officer was among the injured.
Rahat Hussain, who works at the Civil Aviation Authority, said the explosion was so loud it shook the airport building.
Thousands of Chinese workers are staying in Pakistan, many in the Chinese capital and across South Asia, Central Asia, and beyond.
The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan, a province in southwestern Pakistan that borders Afghanistan and Iran. In August, it launched coordinated attacks in the state, killing more than 70 people.
The BLA has specifically targeted Chinese interests, particularly the strategic port of Gwadar in the Arabian Sea, accusing Beijing of supporting Islamabad’s exploitation of the province. They killed Chinese nationals working in the area and attacked Beijing’s consulate in Karachi.
Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority said flights from Karachi continued to operate “as usual” and that “authorities are at the scene of the accident/explosion investigating the cause.”
In collaboration with Reuters, Associated Press and Agence France-Presse
