Pakistan: Two Chinese nationals killed in explosion at Karachi Airport, 10 injured

The attack was targeted at Chinese nationals. Thousands of Chinese workers are in Pakistan, most of them involved in Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.

Two Chinese nationals died while 10 others got injured after a massive blast rocked Karachi Airport in Pakistan on Sunday. According to the police and provincial government, a tanker exploded outside the Karachi Airport, Pakistan's biggest airport.

Videos showed flames engulfing cars and a thick column of smoke rising from the scene. There was a heavy military deployment at the site, which was cordoned off. The attack targeted foreign nationals as Home Ministry official told media that it was an attack on foreign nationals. 

Four security guards among injured

Rahat Hussain, who works in the civil aviation department, said the blast was so big that it shook the airport's buildings. Speaking about the injured, Police surgeon Dr Sumayya Tariq said one of the injured was in critical condition and that four of them were security guards. All the injured were transferred to the Jinnah Hospital for emergency treatment. In a statement, Malir Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) said that Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah has sought a detailed report on the incident. Shah also ordered not to block any roads leading to and from the airport.

Separatist BLA takes responsibility

In a statement emailed to the media, the separatist militant group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed the explosion was an attack carried out by them using a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device targeting Chinese nationals, including engineers.

Notably, the BLA seeks independence for the Balochistan province, bordering with Afghanistan and Iran. In August, it launched coordinated attacks in the province, in which more than 70 people were killed. 

It is worth mentioning that the BLA specifically targets Chinese interests - in particular the strategic port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, accusing Beijing of helping Islamabad exploit the province. BLA  has killed Chinese citizens in the region and attacked Beijing's consulate in Karachi earlier.

(With inputs from agencies)