A prominent Baloch militant group on Sunday attacked a convoy carrying Chinese engineers to the Beijing-financed Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s southwest.
“BLA Majeed Brigade today targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers in Gwadar. The attack is still ongoing," the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) said in a statement. Security sources confirmed an attack on a convoy carrying Chinese engineers, but there was no immediate official confirmation, AFP reported.
According to the Pakistan military’s media wing, security forces engaged in a firefight with terrorists in Balochistan’s Gwadar, resulting in one terrorist killed and three others injured. The operation was launched following reports of terrorist presence, according to the Dawn newspaper. The security forces cordoned off the area and initiated a search operation.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terror activities, particularly in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the TTP’s ceasefire ended in November last year. A report by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies revealed a rise in terror attacks, claiming 389 lives in the first half of the year.
In the past, different factions advocating Baloch separatism have taken responsibility for assaults targeting initiatives associated with the extensive China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. These attacks have prompted the deployment of a substantial number of security forces to mitigate potential risks to Beijing’s vested interests.
Baloch separatist groups often amplify their accomplishments on the battlefield, while Pakistan’s military public relations division tends to downplay or delay the reporting of such incidents. Last month, 12 soldiers of the Pakistan Army were martyred in separate operations, marking the highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks this year.