Attack on China consulate in Karachi foiled; 7 killed

Karachi: Three heavily-armed suicide bombers on Friday stormed the Chinese consulate in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi, killing four people, including two policemen and two civilians — a father and his son — before being shot dead by security forces which foiled the daring attack in the high-security zone, police said.

The attack was soon claimed by the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) which said it would not tolerate “any Chinese military expansionist endeavours on Baloch soil”.

Resource-rich Baloc-histan is at the heart of ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The three suspected suicide bombers were killed by security forces before they could enter the consulate, located in the posh Clifton area.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan said Friday’s assault on China’s diplomatic mission in Karachi was due to trade deals signed between the two nations earlier this month.

“The failed attack against the Chinese Consulate was clearly a reaction to the unprecedented trade agreements that resulted from our trip to China,” Mr Khan tweeted.

“The attack was intended to scare Chinese investors — these terrorists will not succeed.”

The incident is the second major attack this year on Chinese officials in Pakistan that is one of the key partners in China’s Belt and Road initiative. In February, gunmen killed Chen Zhu, a shipping executive, in Karachi’s posh Zamzama district.

The violence has raised concern in Beijing, which is financing infrastructure projects valued at about $60 billion across Pakistan.