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KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) – Three suicide bombers stormed the Chinese consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, after a series of gunfire and an explosion on Friday. They were killed before they could enter the building in a car filled with explosives, the police said. .
At least two police officers were killed in the attack, which was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a group of separatist insurgents opposed to Chinese projects in the province of Baluchistan, rich in natural resources.
All Chinese staff at the consulate are safe, said Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The aggression was the most striking attack in Pakistan against China, a neighbor and close ally who is paying billions of dollars to Pakistan as part of its Belt and Road initiative.
It was also the most prominent operation for years by the BLA, which was leading mainly a low-intensity insurgency in Baluchistan. The group also calls the Baluchistan Liberation Army.
Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered the opening of an investigation. His office described the attack as "conspiracy for a conspiracy against Pak and the economic and strategic cooperation of China and China".
As the attack unfolded, an explosion and gunfire erupted in the wealthy Karachi district of Clifton, where the consulate is located, and a plume of smoke erupted in the area.
Karachi police chief, Amir Shaikh, said the three attackers arrived in a car filled with explosives, but failed to penetrate inside the car. heavily fortified enclosure. It was not clear if the car had exploded.
"They tried to enter, but the rangers and the police killed one of the terrorists," Shaikh said.
A shootout broke out as the other two attackers tried to enter the visa section of the consulate, but they were also killed, he said.
At least three cars parked near the embassy were destroyed in an explosion. A helicopter flew over the area for hours after the attack.
INSURRECTION
A spokesperson for the BLA confirmed that there were three attackers.
"They stormed the Chinese Embassy in Karachi. China is exploiting our resources, "spokesman Jiand Baloch told Reuters by phone.
The insurgents are based in Baluchistan, where China has funded the development of a deep-water port in the city of Gwadar and is also funding other projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Baluchistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, has rich reserves of minerals and natural gas, but is the poorest province in Pakistan.
Separatists have been campaigning for decades against the central government and what they see as an unfair exploitation of the province's resources, particularly natural gas and minerals.
The BLA said that the state also seized land owned by indigenous peoples and targeted projects funded by China.
India was quick to condemn the attack, saying nothing justified such violence.
India and Pakistan regularly criticize violence in their respective countries, and Pakistan has long accused India of supporting Baluchistan insurgents. India denies this.
For decades, India has accused Pakistan of supporting separatist Islamist militants fighting Indian security forces in the Indian part of the Himalayan region of Kashmir.
"The perpetrators of this heinous attack must be brought to justice quickly," the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
CHINESE TARGET
The attack was "a reflection of the BLA's growing interest in China," said Raffaello Pantucci, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Defense and Security Services Institute, based in New York. London.
In August, a BLA suicide bomber attacked a bus carrying workers from the Chinese mines in Balochistan, injuring five people.
China has become in recent years one of the largest investors and supporters of Pakistan, with some $ 60 billion allocated to projects under the belt and roads of China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang condemned the attack and said China "urges the Pakistani side to take measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and organizations".
When asked if the attack would affect Chinese investment in Pakistan, Geng said China would "continue to" steadfastly work with Pakistan to develop CPEC projects.
Security in the capital of Baluchistan province, Quetta, has been strengthened.
"A strong alert has been launched and more security personnel are deployed in the Iranian and Afghan consulates in Quetta and other important places," said Quetta police chief Abdul Razzar Cheema.
Additional report by Philip Wen in Beijing; Written by Kay Johnson and Drazen Jorgic; Edited by Neil Fullick, Robert Birsel and Nick Macfie
