Pak: Balochistan Liberation Army claims it conducted 'fidayeen' attack in Gwadar
Armed rebels from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) attacked a convoy of Chinese engineers in Pakistan's Balochistan province, resulting in the death of 13 people, including 4 Chinese nationals and 9 Pakistani military personnel.
Other terrorists fled the spot in an injured condition after the convoy attack. (File photo)
New Delhi ,UPDATED: Aug 13, 2023 17:07 IST
The convoy of Chinese engineers working on the Beijing-financed Gwadar Port in Pakistan were attacked by the suicide squad, Majeed Brigade, of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), news agency Associated Press reported on Sunday.
"BLA Majeed Brigade today targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers in Gwadar. The attack is still ongoing," the separatist group said in a statement.
According to BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch, two 'fidayeens' of BLA Majeed Brigade, Naveed Baloch alias Aslam Baloch of Dasht Nigor and Maqbool Baloch alias Qayim Baloch of Geshkor Awaran, targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers in Gwadar today. He called the attack 'a self-sacrificing operation'.
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He further said that the operation, 'ZirPahazag' continued for more than two hours.
"According to the information received so far, at least four Chinese nationals and nine personnel of Pakistani military, were killed and several were injured. This is preliminary information and the number of enemy losses could rise," Jeeyand added.
As per Jeeyand, after the successful execution of the operation, the BLA fighters chose their last bullets to end their own lives.
The attack on the convoy of Chinese engineers happened at around 9:30 am and an intense gunfight was underway for nearly two hours, The Balochistan Post reported.
According to local media reports, Pakistani security forces killed two terrorists in the gunfight. Two Pakistani security personnel were also injured when a convoy of engineers working for a Chinese construction company came under attack on Faqeer Bridge in Gwadar.
Other terrorists fled the spot in an injured condition, the Balochistan Post reported, citing sources.
Giving further details of the attack, an English-language Chinese tabloid, Global Times, stated that the convoy of three SUVs and a van, all bulletproof, carried 23 Chinese personnel. An IED exploded during the attack and the van was shot at, creating cracks in the glass.
The Chinese Consulate General in Pakistan's Karachi issued a safety warning on Sunday following the incident. The consulate urged people to maintain high vigilance and strictly control large-scale gathering activities due to the severe security situation.
As per the BLA spokesperson, a detailed statement will be released to the media soon.
Notably, Gwadar port is one of the focal points of the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with many Chinese workers working at the port. China is investing heavily in Balochistan under the CPEC.
