New Delhi: Five Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion after a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into their convoy in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday.
The incident took place in Besham city of Shangla district of Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when Chinese engineers, working on a dam project, were travelling from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu, Reuters reported, quoting regional police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur.
“Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack,” he added.
No one has so far claimed responsibility of the attack.
Bisham Station House Officer (SHO) Bakht Zahir said that the incident was a “suicide blast” and the authorities concerned were collecting the evidence. “Security arrangements have been tightened at the spot and the bodies are being shifted to a hospital. We will investigate from where and how the vehicle of a suicide bomber came and how it happened,” Dawn.com quoted the SHO as saying.
This is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.
The initial two attacks targeted an airbase and a crucial port in the southwestern province of Balochistan, where China is investing billions in infrastructure projects
For several years, Chinese engineers and Pakistani construction workers have been collaborating on hydroelectric projects as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the western province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Dasu, where a notable dam project is situated, has been the subject of previous attacks.
In 2021, an attack in Dasu led to the deaths of nine Chinese nationals and two Pakistani children. The incident occurred when a bus carrying Chinese engineers and workers to the Dasu Hydropower Project site was targeted. Initially, there was confusion regarding the nature of the attack, with some reports indicating it was a bus accident. However, subsequent investigations revealed it was indeed a terrorist attack. The bus was hit by a blast, causing it to plunge into a ravine.
