26-3-2024 (PESHAWAR) A suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a dam project in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday (Mar 26), resulting in six fatalities, as confirmed by local police. This marks the third significant attack on Chinese interests within a week in the South Asian nation.
The previous two assaults targeted an airbase and a strategic port in the southwest province of Balochistan, where China has substantial investments in infrastructure projects.
According to Mohammad Ali Gandapur, the regional police chief, the engineers were travelling from Islamabad to their camp at the dam construction site in Dasu, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack,” stated Gandapur.
UPDATE : Death toll rises to 9 after Pashtun fighters targeted a convoy carrying Chinese nationals in Besham city of Shangla district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 6 Chinese are among the dead.
More details to follow pic.twitter.com/p4Sg5NBEZW
— Baba Banaras™ (@RealBababanaras) March 26, 2024
Dasu has been the site of previous attacks, including a bus explosion in 2021 that claimed the lives of 13 individuals, including nine Chinese nationals.
Chinese engineers have been actively involved in various projects across Pakistan, with Beijing allocating over US$65 billion for infrastructure initiatives as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), under the broader Belt and Road initiative.
No group has claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack or the incident in 2021. Pakistan grapples with dual insurgencies – one led by extremists and the other by ethnic militants advocating for secession.
Although ethnic militants primarily target Chinese interests in mineral-rich Balochistan, these incidents typically occur in the south and southwest regions, distant from Tuesday’s attack site.
Extremist activities are concentrated in the northwest region, where the convoy was ambushed.
Relief operations commenced promptly after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police arrived at the scene.
A separate police source revealed that the convoy belonged to the construction firm China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC), engaged in the Dasu hydropower project – the same company targeted in 2021. Construction activities were halted for several months following that attack.
The Chinese embassy in Islamabad refrained from immediate comment on the incident.
These attacks occur just a week before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit Beijing, marking his first official visit following February’s elections.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the attack, reaffirming the nation’s commitment to combatting militant activities.
