Three people, including two Chinese nationals have died, while 11 people were injured in a massive explosion near Karachi International Airport last night.
The Chinese embassy in Pakistan and Pakistan’s Foreign Office have confirmed the deaths, Dawn News has reported.
The Chinese embassy in Pakistan stated, “Convoy carrying Chinese staff of the Port Qasim Electric Power Company (Private) Limited was attacked near the Jinnah International Airport.”
It further said, “Making every effort to handle the aftermath together with the Pakistani side.”
Rescue 1122 has stated that five vehicles were damaged by the blast, while seven other vehicles were destroyed.
In an initial report, a police official disclosed that the explosion occurred in an oil tanker.
The Khorasan Diary reported that the terrorist group Balochistan Liberation Army’s (BLA) Majeed Brigade, known to have deep ties with India, claimed the attack and published the picture of the suicide bomber named Shah Fahad alias Aftab.
Yesterday, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar claimed the explosion was likely caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strike.
Condemning the incident, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said, “We express full solidarity with the families of the Chinese citizens in this moment of grief.”
The Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Panjgur Zakir Baloch was assassinated by unknown armed men in the Mastung District of Balochistan on Monday.
Zakir Baloch was travelling on the National Highway near the Khada-Kucha area along with two people, District Chairman Malik Jan and Ahmed Jan, towards Quetta when at least 15 armed people attacked the vehicle, Geo News reported.
All three suffered bullet injuries, after which the DC and his friends were shifted to a nearby hospital. Zakir succumbed to his injuries; however, his friends were referred to Quetta Civil Hospital’s trauma centre for further treatment.
In recent years, the security situation has been getting worse as foreign-funded militant organisations increase their foothold in the troubled province.
Journalist Iftikhar Firdous posted on X, “The deputy commissioner of Panjgur has been killed by at least two dozen attackers opening firing at his vehicle; local said that militants had set up a checkpoint looking for government officials.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, expressing grief over the martyrdom of DC Zakir Baloch.
Balochistan Home Minister Zia Ullah Langau announced on Friday that two suspects involved in the murder of barbershop workers in Gawadar have been arrested.
Seven barbershop workers from Punjab were killed when they were sleeping in their apartment near the Gwadar Fish Harbour in the Surbandar area of the coastal town earlier this month. One worker was injured in the incident.
“I congratulate all our institutions who fulfilled their responsibility and the government’s orders with their efforts, and we have arrested two killers of the Gwadar labourers,” Langau said while addressing a press conference in Quetta.
The arrested suspects revealed during the investigation that they had been ordered to kill any labourer from Punjab.
Zia Ullah Langau also stated that millitants targeted innocent citizens, worsening the peace and security situation in Balochistan.
“Terrorists have nothing to do with our rights. We will go the extra mile for those speaking up for the rights of Balochistan,” Langau added.
Seven people belonging to Punjab have been killed and one injured in an attack by unknown armed men in the Gwadar district of Balochistan.
Police said that the unfortunate incident took place in the Sarbandar area of Gwadar. The dead and injured were barbers and belonged to Khanewal district of Punjab.
The bodies have been sent for autopsy while the injured person has been shifted to Gwadar Hospital for medical assistance, the police told BBC.
Sarbandar is a fishing village which is located approximately 25 kilometers east of Gwadar city towards Karachi. Gwadar district bordering Iran is a coastal district of Balochistan and since the deterioration of the situation in Balochistan, incidents of this kind of unrest have been happening in Gwadar as well.
No one has yet accepted responsibility for this incident and SHO Mohsin Baloch informed BBC that an investigation is going on into various aspects of the incident.
Earlier on April 13, 11 people, including nine people from Punjab, were killed and five were injured when Balochistan Liberation Army militants fired on a bus in the Nushki district of Balochistan.
In the past, like other areas of Balochistan, Gwadar also witnessed attacks on workers and security forces and other incidents of unrest. In March this year, a major attack was carried out on the Gwadar Port Authority complex in Gwadar. The Majeed Brigade of the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti and Interior Minister Mir Ziaullah Longo have condemned the killings in Gwadar and said that the killing of innocent labourers in Gwadar is terrorism.
In a video released by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on April 15, terrorists can be seen roaming around with ease in the area and thoroughly checking the travellers in Quetta-Taftan Highway N-40, near Noshki.
On April 13, nine people from Punjab and killed by the BLA militants after they stopped a bus and forced them off it.
The gunmen checked the identity cards of passengers from the Taftan-bound bus and kidnapped them. They were subsequently shot dead.
In the shocking footage, the militants easily moved on the road and kept inspecting all the vehicles and passengers.
The footage was made from different angles. It also zoomed in and pointed to a Pakistan Military outpost and military camp nearby while the militants were conducting their operation.
At the end of the video, the militants stopped two passenger buses and the in-video text showed “primary target” on a white bus. The other bus was let go and appallingly the video ended with the caption “ALL TARGETS NETRALISED”.
The 30-year-old Shari Baloch committed a suicide bombing near the Confucius Institute of Karachi University on April 26. In the suicide attack, she targeted four people including Chinese nationals and a van driver, reports Independent Urdu.
She was an educated woman who belonged from Kech, Balochistan. She had been with Balochistan Students Organisation-Azad (BSO Azad) since college. She later joined the separatist movement of the Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). She completed her master’s degree in education from Allama Iqbal Open University in 2014
However, as per Urdu news reported that he completed a bachelor’s in Education (B.Ed) in 2014 and earned a Master’s degree in education in 2018. Later, she also earned a master’s degree in Zoology. As per her allegedly Twitter account, she has done M.Phil in education as well. She was married to a doctor and have two children together, one son and a daughter. She was teaching in a government school in Balochistan but the school did not confirm it yet.
Her relative revealed to a reporter that most of the family members are part of the bureaucracy.
According to her relative, “It is being said on social media that some members of Shari Baloch’s family went missing so she took such a step to take revenge but not a single person in her family has gone missing to date. She was ideologically committed to it, so maybe she took such a step.”
Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Raja Umar Khattab also confirmed that it was the suicide attack that was carried out by a female clad-in-burqa. Police also released CCTV footage in which Shari Baloch was standing near the gate of the Confucius Institute. She blew up when a van was about to enter the institute at 1:52 pm.
[TRIGGER WARNING] VIDEO MAY BE SENSITIVE TO SOME AUDIENCE
Four people lost their lives including three Chinese nationals and a driver while three people survived from injuries including Ranger personnel, one Chinese national, and a security guard. The injured people were taken to a nearby hospital
The deceased three Chinese nationals are identified as Prof. Huang GuiPing, Ding Mufang, and Chen Sai while Wang Yuqing received injuries.
Later, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) took the responsibility for the suicide attack near the Confucius Institute.
A spokesperson of BLA spokesman said, “Shari joined the Majeed Brigade two years ago and six months ago she confirmed that she was determined to carry out the attack. She has been active in her mission ever since.”
A tweet from her husband, Habitan Bashir Baloch also came to light for appreciating his wife’s selfless act.
He penned down, “Shari Jan, your selfless act has left me speechless but I am also beaming with pride today. Mahroch and Meer Hassan will grow into very proud humans thinking what a great woman their mother was. You will continue to remain an important part of our lives.
“The police had received reports regarding security threats to Chinese nationals and security was also provided to them, however, no intelligence report of suicide attack through a female bomber was received,” the top police official said while speaking on Geo News program Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath.
China has strongly condemned the recent suicide attack on Karachi University and extended deep condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims.
In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, “The government of the People’s Republic of China expresses strong condemnation and indignation over this major terrorist attack and extends deep condolences to the victims and sympathies to the injured and bereaved families.”
Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Jianghao called the Pakistan Ambassador to China Moinul Haque and demanded that Pakistan should immediately make a thorough investigation into the tragic incident, and apprehend and punish the perpetrators to the full extent of the law. “We expect that Pakistan will take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens living across Pakistan and to avoid the recurrence of such cowardice incidents happening again.”
Moin ul Haque, in a message, said, “The entire nation is in shock and mourns the loss of these precious lives including our Chinese friends.”
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif also visited the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad after the incident to offer condolence over the incident.
PM said, “The blood of the Chinese people should not be shed in vain, and those behind this incident will surely pay the price.”
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) is claiming that they have arrested two members from ISIS after a raid in Khanewal city, Punjab.
The spokesperson of the CTD revealed that the suspects were preparing for attacks on the important installations and worship places. The team also recovered banned literature, weapons, and hand grenades.
Further investigation is still underway.
A new wave of terrorism is hitting cities across Pakistan from the beginning of the year, 2022 after a ceasefire was unilaterally ended by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Last month, terrorists targeted Lahore with a bomb blast at a famous crowded marketplace, New Anarkali. Three people died including one child and several were injured in the attack.
Recently attacks occurred in Balochistan on a Wednesday evening resulting in four soldiers embracing martyrdom and killing 15 terrorists. Terrorists tried to enter a security forces’ camp from two locations. The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Similarly, an incident occurred on January 28, when 10 soldiers embraced martyrdom after terrorists attacked a security forces’ check-post in Balochistan’s Kech district.
Police killed all four assailants who attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) compound in Karachi on Monday morning, police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon confirmed to media.
Citing Memon, Reuters reported that the gunmen had attacked the compound on I I Chundrigar Road with grenades and guns. “Four attackers have been killed, they had come in a Corolla car,” Nabi said.
Initial reports said that four attackers entered the building around 10 am and opened fire. A grenade attack was carried out at the entrance.
At least two civilians were killed in the attack and multiple were injured.
Police surgeon Dr Qarar Ahmed Abbasi said that five bodies and seven injured including policemen were brought to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital in Karachi.
Other reports said that four guards and a policeman were also martyred.
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Police and Rangers’ officials arrived at the scene soon after the attack and killed all four attackers, Sindh Rangers said.
A clearance operation is underway in the vicinity. Weapons and hand grenades have been recovered from the attackers.
“An unfortunate incident took place at the Pakistan Stock Exchange,” said PSX director Abid Ali Habib. “They made their way from our parking area and opened fire on everyone.”
He said that the militants had stormed the Railway Ground parking area and fired outside the PSX ground. They made their way to the main gate of the building and stormed it after trading fire with security guards.
Habib said that the firing by militants caused panic among the people in the building.
The PSX building and surrounding areas were sealed by law enforcement agencies. People inside the PSX building were evacuated from the back door.
Police said the militants conducted the assault with sophisticated weapons and were carrying a bag filled with explosives.
Counter Terrorism Department’s (CTD) Raja Omar Khattab said that police would try to find out details about the car used by the attackers. “CCTV cameras are being monitored by law enforcement agencies to obtain clues.”
An earlier statement by the PSX said that its compound had been attacked by militants and that the “situation is still unfolding”.
“There was an attack on the PSX compound earlier today. The situation is still unfolding and management, with the help of security forces, is managing the security and controlling the situation,” tweeted the PSX.
There was an attack on the PSX compound earlier today. The situation is still unfolding and management, with the help of security forces, is managing the security and controlling the situation.
“We will issue a more detailed statement in due course once the situation is under control and more details are known,” it said in a subsequent tweet.
We will issue a more detailed statement in due course once the situation is under control and more details are known. For now firing has stopped and reinforcement are in place.
For now firing has stopped and reinforcement are in place, it added.
Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail condemned the attack.
Strongly condemn the attack on PSX aimed at tarnishing our relentless war on terror. Have instructed the IG & security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators are caught alive & their handlers are accorded exemplary punishments. We shall protect Sindh at all costs.
“Strongly condemn the attack on PSX aimed at tarnishing our relentless war on terror,” he said, vowing to protect Sindh at all costs.
The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which was declared a global terrorist group by the United States (US) last year, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
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