Pakistan: Authorities term Karachi airport blast which killed Chinese nationals 'conspiracy'
Oct 14, 2024
Islamabad [Pakistan], October 14 : Pakistan's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) described the October 6 blast on a convoy near the Karachi airport, which killed three people including two Chinese engineers, as "a conspiracy to undermine Pakistan-China relations", Geo News reported.
The blast took place when a suicide bomber crashed the explosives-laden car into the convoy of Chinese engineers. 16 people were injured, including another Chinese national.
Over fifteen vehicles sustained major damage as a result of the attack.
A day later, the Majeed Brigade of the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack on social media.
In its initial copy of the report, the CTD said that the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts revealed that the explosion was made possible with the 'involvement' of the banned outfit.
According to Geo News, the attacker drove his vehicle close to a convoy carrying Chinese nationals and detonated the explosive, the report said, adding that the explosion took place near the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) guardroom.
Meanwhile, the case registered at a Counter Terrorism Department police station on the complaint of the Airport Police Station's House Officer (SHO) Kaleem Khan Moosa also includes sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
At the time when a loud thunder was heard, the SHO was on duty at around 11 pm. Upon investigation, he found out that the blast had occured on the road in front of the CAA guardroom, near the outer signal of the Jinnah International Airport Terminal Road, Geo News reported quoting the FIR.
Several individuals, including rangers, police personnel and civilians, were injured in the blast.
The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan on Monday last week condemned the attack in Pakistan's port city of Karachi.