Islamabad, Aug 13 (EFE).- Suspected militants attacked a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a China-funded port development project in Pakistan\u2019s troubled Balochistan province, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No casualties were reported on the Chinese side, but security forces claimed to have gunned down the two assailants who lobbed bombs and opened fire on three SUVs and a van going to Gwadar port in Pakistan’s southwest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBoth the terrorists were killed while all the Chinese citizens remained safe in the attack,\u201d Abdul Basit, an officer at Gwadar police station, told EFE. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A statement from the Chinese embassy in Islamabad said the convoy carrying Chinese engineers \u201cwas attacked near the port of Gwadar in Balochistan\u201d that \u201ccaused no casualties on the Chinese side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The embassy \u201cstrongly condemns the terrorist act,\u201d the statement said, urging Pakistan to \u201ctake practical effective measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which fights for the independence of the resources-rich region, claimed responsibility for the attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The militant group said its suicide attackers targeted \u201ca convoy of Chinese engineers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pakistan military said the attack was on its convoy and did not mention that the Chinese engineers were the target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Security Forces of Pakistan remain determined to thwart the efforts of the enemies of peace and prosperity in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The attack killed \u201cat least four four Chinese nationals and nine personnel of Pakistani military,\u201d said the group, which often inflates casualty figures suffered by the Pakistan security forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China has a huge presence in Pakistan for the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion dollar infrastructure project financed by Beijing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is the latest in a series of attacks in the volatile Balochistan province, which has battled decades of insurgency against what rebels allege is the unfair exploitation of resources in the mineral-rich region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The region borders Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west. It has a long coastline on the Arabian Sea and is home to Pakistan\u2019s largest natural gas field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Baloch Liberation Army usually claims attacks on security forces and is among the most prominent separatist groups in the region. EFE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
aa-ssk\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"