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Pakistani militants attack convoy of Chinese engineers
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/13/asia/militant-attack-chinese-engineers-pakistan-intl/index.htmlAn attack on Chinese engineers in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan was thwarted by Pakistan’s military, leaving two militants dead and the Chinese workers unharmed, police say.
Chakar Baloch, the police superintendent for the district of Gwadar, where the attack took place, told CNN that a clearance operation is underway after clashes between police and militants went on for two hours. Two security personnel were injured.
In a statement to CNN, the Baloch Liberation Army, a militant separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan’s armed forces said at least two militants were killed and three others were injured in an exchange of fire with security forces.
The military said that security forces have cordoned off the entire area and launched a search operation.
China’s Foreign Ministry said Monday it strongly condemned the attack, urging the Pakistani authorities to punish the perpetrators and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens.
“China will continue to work with Pakistan to prevent and respond to the threat of terrorism, and effectively protect the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan,” Chinese Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.
“Any attempt to undermine (the) China-Pakistan friendship and the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will never succeed,” he added.
The CPEC is a $60 billion project that links China’s western Xinjiang region to Pakistan’s strategic Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea with a network of roads, railways, pipelines and power plants.
It’s a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese leader Xi jinping’s signature global infrastructure program.
Bordering Afghanistan and Iran, Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but least populated province. It’s also home to the Gwadar port, a crucial link in the CPEC.