The terrorist attack on a convoy carrying 23 Chinese engineers along with Pakistan army soldiers has caused tremors in Beijing and Rawalpindi.
The attack on Chinese in Gwadar
The attack by Baloch militants was not the first such terrorist attack. In April last, a woman suicide bomber had killed herself outside a Chinese study centre in the Karachi University premises, killing three Chinese teachers. In April 2021, there was a car bombing at a hotel in Quetta where the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan was due to stay. In November 2018, the Baloch separatists had attempted to storm the Chinese consulate in Karachi leaving four people dead. But most attacks have targeted Chinese engineers and projects, which are heavily protected by Pakistani security forces.
After the Gwadar attack, the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, in a statement, “strongly condemned” the attack. “The incident caused no casualties on the Chinese side, and the relevant personnel have been properly placed in safety. China will continue to work with the Pakistani side, to jointly counter the threats of terrorism,” statement reads.
Meanwhile, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) issued a- 90 day ultimatum, threatening a new series of attacks against China: “If China fails to shut its projects and not withdraws from Balochistan in next 90 days then Baloch Liberation Army will further increase the number and intensity of its attacks against China.”
These threats pose a major challenge to the Pakistan Army.
