An explosion kills 25 people in northern Pakistan as police repel the Chinese consulate's attack in Karachi

ISLAMABAD – A suicide bomb attack killed 25 people in a market and a religious holiday in northern Pakistan, just hours after the assassination of the Chinese consulate's murders in Karachi in the south of the country , making four deaths.

The attacker drove a motorcycle into a weekly market and festival in the Orakzai area near the Afghan border and blew himself up, according to Reuters.

The explosion came just hours after Karachi police foiled the morning assault on four armed men against the Chinese consulate, killing two policemen, two civilians and three gunmen.

The attack took place around 9 am when four gunmen tried to enter the consulate in the upscale Clifton neighborhood, but were stopped by police and security guards at the checkpoint, officials said. local police.

In addition to the exchange of gunfire, eyewitnesses told Pakistani television station Dawn that an explosion had occurred. The footage on the television showed smoke rising from the Chinese consulate building.

Security forces rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area.

"Three attackers were killed in the exchange of fire with our forces. All Chinese diplomats and other staff of the consulate are safe and have remained unscathed during the attack, "said senior police official Amir Shaikh, speaking with local journalists. Due to the quick reaction of the police and guards, the terrorists could not reach the diplomats, he added, adding that the operation was over but that research was under way to determine whether he was safe. there were other suspects.

According to Pakistani news channels, a separatist group, the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA), reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. The group had already attacked Chinese workers and construction projects in Baluchistan, a Pakistani province at the heart of the mega project, the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC), which involves huge Chinese investments in infrastructure. Pakistan.

The two attacks on opposite sides of the country were probably unrelated.

Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the assault on the Chinese consulate.

"The incident is part of a plot against economic and strategic cooperation between Pakistan and China," according to a statement from his office. "However, such incidents will never undermine relations between China and Pakistan that are more powerful than the Himalayas and deeper than the Arabian Sea."

Geng Shuang, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Friday: "China strongly condemns this violent attack and calls on the Pakistani side to take concrete steps to protect the security of Chinese institutions in Pakistan."

Hassan Askari Rizvi, a security analyst based in Lahore, said the attack was aimed at undermining ties between the two countries, noting that Chinese nationals had already been attacked.

"The terrorists want to create panic and fear, and the attack of a diplomatic mission creates international headlines," he said. "Such attacks show that the terrorist threat is still present and far from over."

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