Pakistan: Convoy of 23 Chinese engineers attacked in Balochistan

A convoy of Chinese engineers came under attack in Pakistan's Balochistan province by armed rebels on Sunday. Explosions and gunfire were heard across the port city of Gwadar, where all roads remain closed for traffic, according to The Balochistan Post. The report said that the government authorities confirmed the attack on Chinese engineers in Gwadar.

The attack on the convoy of Chinese engineers happened at around 9:30 am and an intense gunfight was underway for nearly two hours, The Balochistan Post reported, adding that the attack unfolded near Faqeer Colony, Gwadar. The authorities have put the city on high alert and restricted entry and exit. 

The Baloch Liberation Army - Majeed Brigade, the suicide squad of BLA, has claimed responsibility for the attack, the report said, adding that Chinese consulates in Pakistan have issued orders for its citizens in Balochistan and Sindh to remain inside their residences till further orders. 

China's Global Times reported that a Chinese convoy of engineers was attacked near the Gwadar police station in Pakistan. The convoy of three SUVs and a van, all bulletproof, carried 23 Chinese personnel. An IED exploded during the attack and the van was shot at, creating cracks in the glass, the report said. 

The Chinese Consulate General in Karachi issued a safety warning following the attack on the convoy of engineers. The consulate urged people to maintain high vigilance and strictly control large-scale gathering activities due to the severe security situation. Global Times said there were no injuries reported within the attacked Chinese convoy. 

Pakistan Army's media affairs wing said that one attacker was killed and three others were injured in an exchange of fire with security forces in Gwadar. "The security forces have cordoned off the entire area [and] launched [a] search operation," the ISPR said.

Pakistan's Gwadar Port, which is coming up in Balochistan, is being developed as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. However, some Baloch nationalists oppose the project on fears that it may enable the federal government in Pakistan to exploit the natural resources of the mineral-rich province. Balochistan is rich in natural resources, including minerals, oil, and gas. 

Some Baloch nationalists argue that Pakistan's federal government disproportionately benefits from these resources, leading to economic exploitation and marginalization of the local population. The fear is that Gwadar's development could further exacerbate these issues by facilitating the extraction and export of these resources without adequate benefits reaching the local population.

Due to this, Chinese workers working on the project have come under attack in the past as well. In April last year, a female suicide bomber attacked a minibus in the capital city of Karachi, killing three Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver. The BLA, a separatist group fighting for the independence of Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. 

In April this year, a Chinese national working on the Dasu Dam, a Chinese-funded hydropower project, was arrested on blasphemy charges after an angry mob accused him of insulting Islam when he criticised a coworker for taking too much time to pray during working hours.