Five Chinese nationals killed in Shangla attack

PESHAWAR – At least five people were killed in an attack on a vehicle carrying Chinese nationals in Bisham area of Shangla in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

DIG Malakand said the vehicle was going to Kohistan from Islamabad when it was targeted. Reports said all the five killed in the attack have been identified as Chinese nationals.

The official said the incident happened after a vehicle laden with explosive was collided with the vehicle carrying the Chinese citizens. Security forces have cordoned off the area while bodies have been shifted to hospital.

Regional police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur said suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers traveling from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu, resulting in the fatalities. Authorities initiated relief operations and heightened security measures in the region.

China demands detailed probe into attacks

Chinese embassy in Pakistan has urged for a thorough investigation, punishment of the culprits, and enhanced safety measures for Chinese citizens. This incident follows a similar attack in July 2021, where nine Chinese nationals were among 13 individuals killed in a bus accident initially thought to be an accident but later confirmed as a terrorist attack. Two individuals were sentenced to death in November 2022 for planning the 2021 attack.

Top Pakistani officials including President Asif Ali Zardari strongly denounced the attack and expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of the Chinese nationals.

He conveyed his sympathies to the families of the victims and the Chinese government, affirming that anti-Pakistan forces would not succeed in harming the Pak-China friendship.

PM Shehbaz visits Chinese embassy to condole deaths

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Chinese embassy and offered condolence over the tragic demise of Chinese nationals in a suicide attack.

Sharif and other officials on Tuesday visited the Chinese embassy and conveyed his condolence over the death of Chinese nationals in a blast that took place in Bisham tehsil of KP’s Shangla. A suicide bomber hit an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers, resulting in the deaths of foreign nationals.

The premier met Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, and sympathised with the government and the people of China as well as the families of the victims.