Pakistan:Two terrorists killed in exchange of fire with security forces in Gwadar

Gwadar is one of the focal points of the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with many Chinese workers working at the port. China is investing heavily in Balochistan under the CPEC.

Karachi: Two terrorists were killed by security forces on Sunday after they attacked a convoy, believed to be carrying Chinese engineers, in the port city of Gwadar in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, the army said.

Gwadar is one of the focal points of the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with many Chinese workers working at the port. China is investing heavily in Balochistan under the CPEC.

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According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, the terrorists attacked at 10 am, using small arms and hand grenades.

“However, due to the efficient and swift response, two terrorists were sent to hell with no harm to any military or civil persons,” the ISPR said.

It said the military expressed its resolve to “thwart efforts of the enemies of peace and prosperity in the country”. There was no mention of any attack on Chinese engineers in the statement.

The Baloch Liberation Army – Majeed Brigade, a militant group active in Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Earlier, media outlets in Quetta reported that a convoy of Chinese engineers came under attack as they were passing through the main Gwadar town but reports said they had escaped any casualties or injuries.

An earlier statement by the ISPR said security forces launched an operation after the inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area, killing one militant and injuring three others.

“The security forces have cordoned off the entire area [and] launched a search operation,” the ISPR said.

“I strongly condemn the heinous terror attack on the Chinese workers convoy in Gwadar. Thankfully, no loss of life happened, but there are reports that the ambush has been repulsed and the attackers have been killed,” Senator Sarfraz Bugti said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The ruptures within the militants’ fold are getting wider by the day as our armed forces are courageously thwarting their nefarious designs.
There is no reprieve for anyone who casts an evil eye on Pakistan,” he added.

Attacks on Chinese nationals working on the CPEC have been carried out in the past by suspected outlawed separatist groups and militants particularly in or near Gwadar.

Militants and separatists have even targeted Chinese nationals working or doing business in Karachi in the past.

In a similar incident, one soldier was killed and four terrorists were shot dead during clashes in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P)’s Bajaur District on Saturday night.

The ISPR said that the army conducted an intelligence-based operation in Charmang, Bajaur District on the reported presence of terrorists.

It added that weapons, ammunition and explosives, including a suicide vest, were also recovered from the militants.

Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have carried out several attacks targeting the CPEC projects in the region in recent times.

Pakistan has seen an uptick in terror activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007.

Last month, as many as 12 soldiers of the Pakistan Army were killed in separate military operations in the Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan.

This was the military’s highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year.