By Gul Yousafzai
QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) – Militants attacked a Pakistani military convoy near the strategic southwestern port of Gwadar on Sunday as it was escorting a delegation of Chinese nationals to a construction project, the military and a security source said.
China has invested heavily under its Belt and Road Initiative in the mineral-rich province of Balochistan, including developing the deepwater port of Gwadar, despite a decades-long separatist insurgency in the area.
“Terrorists used small arms and hand grenades during the activity,” the military’s public relations wing said in a statement, adding that two militants were killed and no harm was caused to any military personnel or civilians.
It did not mention the presence of Chinese nationals.
A Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed two attackers died in a gun battle, without any injuries in the convoy. The attack targeted Chinese passengers travelling from Gwadar airport towards a construction site in the port area, the source said.
Separatist group the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed the attack, saying it inflicted multiple casualties. But no other reports from the area confirmed that version.
The BLA and other militant groups say Pakistan exploits the province’s natural resources and have targeted Chinese interests in recent years for supporting that.
Gwadar is located near the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil shipping route in the Arabian Sea, and is being developed under Chinese management.
(Writing by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
