A suicide bombing killed five Chinese workers and a local driver in Pakistan on Tuesday. According to AFP the victims were foreign workers deployed to northern Pakistan to oversee the construction of a large dam.
According to Pakistani police, the five Chinese workers were in their vehicle, along with their driver, when the bomber blew himself up near them. The group had left the Dasu hydroelectric dam, which is being funded by China as part of an infrastructure investment. The explosion took place near the town of Besham.
#BREAKING: First Visuals from the suicide bombing against Chinese Nationals in Besham City of Shangla District of Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. Five Chinese Nationals (Engineers) killed in the attack as per initial details. Difficult for Pakistan to downplay the news. pic.twitter.com/SAd8NsGdHM
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) March 26, 2024
"The Chinese embassy and consulates in Pakistan strongly condemn this terrorist act, express deep condolences to the victims in both countries and extend sincere condolences to the relatives of the victims," the Chinese embassy said in a statement.
This is not the first deadly attack on Chinese companies and individuals in Pakistan. The Chinese government has been investing large amounts of money in the country and trying to ensure its workers' safety.
In 2021, another attack in Pakistan killed a group of Chinese workers who were traveling by bus to do maintenance work on the Dasu dam. In that attack, the Pakistani government blamed the terrorist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an affiliate of the Taliban in the country.
The same year, in the province of Baluchistan, the Taliban carried out a suicide attack on a hotel where the Chinese ambassador was staying. Although the ambassador was unharmed, the attack caused tensions between China and Pakistan over the lack of appropriate measures for order and security.
Security crisis in Pakistan
Pakistan is experiencing an internal security crisis. This has especially been a problem since the Taliban took over in Afghanistan and security has deteriorated significantly. While Taliban affiliates are threatening the border, the Pakistani armed forces are waging a campaign against Islamist separatists in Balochistan.
In this region, between Iran and southern Pakistan, Islamabad forces killed at least four insurgents, according to Pakistani government sources. According to official sources consulted by FOX, the separatists were preparing to attack a port in the town of Turbat.
