BLA banned militant outfit claimed the attack that was carried out by a woman suicide bomber
A blast ripped through a van inside a university campus in southern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing three Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver, officials said.
“Three Chinese nationals and one Pakistani has been killed in the blast, which specifically targeted Chinese nationals,” said Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officer Raja Umar Khattak.
The Chinese fatalities included the director of the Chinese-built Confucius Institute, which offers Chinese language graduate classes, and two teachers.
Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon said the initial investigation suggests a suicide bomber was behind the attack.
He said that CCTV footage from the site showed a person dressed in the female burqa head-to-toe covering walking up to the van, followed by an instantaneous explosion.
A banned militant group Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility and said the attack was carried out by a woman suicide bomber. The militant organization has targeted Chinese nationals in attacks in the past.
Pakistani law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident “to apprehend the culprits and bring them to justice.”
The attack is a major challenge for newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “I strongly condemn this cowardly act of terrorism,” Sharif tweeted. “The perpetrators will surely be brought to justice.”
Pakistan Foreign Office strongly condemned the terrorist attack. “The Government and people of Pakistan extend their deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of victims who lost their lives in the incident,” the official statement said.
“The cowardly incident is a direct attack on the Pakistan-China friendship and ongoing cooperation. Pakistan and China are close friends and iron brothers. Pakistan attaches great importance to the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan” the statement added.