Insurgents Ambush Chinese Engineers' Convoy in Pakistan
A convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked in Gwadar, located on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan, prompting concerns about the safety of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Militants from the Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist terrorist group active in southern Iran and Pakistan, launched an assault on a Beijing-funded convoy transporting Chinese engineers to Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan.
Attackers killed
Pakistani Senator Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti stated on the X social network that no Chinese citizens have lost their lives in the attack.
"I vehemently condemn the despicable terrorist attack on the convoy of Chinese workers in Gwadar," he expressed. The senator added, "Fortunately, there were no casualties, but as per some accounts, the ambush was repelled and the assailants were neutralized..."
Pakistan's state radio, citing the army's communications department, asserted that the situation was under control, noting, "Security forces engaged in a confrontation with terrorists in Gwadar, resulting in the death of one terrorist and injuries to three others."
Safeguarding the CPEC
Meanwhile, Beijing called upon Pakistan to take tangible measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals. This statement emerged in the aftermath of the attack on Chinese engineers within the Balochistan province. The Chinese government strongly denounced the incident.
“China has requested Pakistan to severely punish the culprits and to take practical and effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals,” stated Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, according to the Beijing-based daily Global Times.
He added, “Any attempt to undermine the friendship between China and Pakistan and the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will never succeed.”
Launched in 2014, the CPEC stands as a significant economic and infrastructural venture between China and Pakistan, attracting $25.4 billion in direct investments into Pakistan over a decade and granting China access to the Arabian Sea via Gwadar Port.
History of Violence
It is worth noting that this is not the inaugural attack by the Balochistan Liberation Army. In May 2019, the group targeted a luxury hotel overlooking Gwadar port, resulting in the deaths of at least eight individuals.
More recently, in April 2022, a suicide attacker, a woman, killed three Chinese academics and their Pakistani driver as they entered the Confucius Institute at Karachi University.
Media reports indicate that all of these assaults were claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist terrorist organization aspiring to establish an independent state across portions of Iranian and Pakistani territories.
