On March 26, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy carrying Chinese engineers working on a dam project in Northwest Pakistan, killing six people.
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| Scene of the suicide bombing targeting Chinese engineers in Pakistan on March 26. (Source: AFP) |
Peshawar Regional Police Chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur said the incident occurred when Chinese engineers were on their way from Islamabad to work at the dam construction site in Dasu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Five Chinese citizens and one Pakistani citizen died in the bombing. This was the third major attack on Chinese interests in the South Asian country in the past week, including one targeting an air force base and another targeting a strategic port in Balochistan province - where Beijing invest billions of dollars.
Currently, no individual or organization has claimed responsibility. Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the incident and announced that the country would continue its fight against militants.
According to a source from the Pakistani Prime Minister's Office, the attacks occurred a week before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was scheduled to leave for Beijing. This will be his first visit since taking office after the election last February.
After the incident, Reuters reported that Chinese diplomatic missions in Pakistan immediately conducted emergency rescue work and asked Islamabad to "thoroughly investigate, severely punish the perpetrators, and take appropriate measures." practical” to ensure security.
Meanwhile, on January 27, THX Quoting a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Beijing strongly condemns the above terrorist attack and requires Pakistan to thoroughly investigate the incident as soon as possible.
“We request Pakistan to take effective measures to ensure the safety and security of Chinese citizens, projects and organizations in the country,” the spokesman stated. Beijing is making every effort to cooperate with Islamabad in the next operation."
The above official noted that China and Pakistan are strategic cooperative partners in all circumstances, have a strong friendship, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has greatly contributed to development. socio-economics of Pakistan.
Asserting that any attempt to weaken this bilateral cooperation will never succeed, Beijing said it will firmly support Islamabad in the fight against terrorism.
Pakistan regularly experiences uprisings by Muslims and other minorities seeking secession.
