Thousands of Chinese nationals are in Shangla, working on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which includes a multitude of mega projects.
Agencies/JK News Today
Five Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion during an attack on their convoy by a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, reported Reuters.
The suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers travelling from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Reuters quoted regional police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur as saying.
“Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack,” Gandapur said.
No one claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack.
Bisham Station House Officer (SHO) Bakht Zahir said that the incident was a “suicide blast” and the authorities concerned were collecting the evidence, Dawn.com reported.
Security arrangements were tightened at the spot and the bodies were being shifted to a hospital, he further said.
“We will investigate from where and how the vehicle of a suicide bomber came and how it happened,” the SHO said.
This is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.
The first two attacks hit an airbase and a strategic port in the southwest province of Balochistan where China is investing billions in infrastructure projects.
Chinese engineers and Pakistani construction workers have for several years been working on hydroelectric projects as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the western province of Khyber-Paktunkhwa.
Dasu, home to a significant dam project, has been a target of previous attacks.
In 2021, the attack in Dasu resulted in the deaths of nine Chinese nationals, along with two Pakistani children. The incident took place when a bus carrying Chinese engineers and workers to the Dasu Hydropower Project site was targeted.
Initially, there was confusion surrounding the nature of the attack, with some reports suggesting 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.
