Pakistani authorities said Wednesday (March 20) that a group of heavily armed “terrorists” attacked a government building in the southwestern city of Gwadar, killing six people, mostly security personnel. Gwadar has a Chinese-run port.
A senior security official confirmed the casualties, telling the Voice of America (VOA) that Pakistani forces “quickly engaged” and killed “all eight attackers” in a fierce gun battle. The official requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The Pakistani military later said in an official statement that two servicemen were killed in the armed attack. The statement added that “a large number of arms, ammunition and explosives were also seized from the slain terrorists.”
The officially banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the afternoon attack on the Gwadar Port Authority building, which houses civil affairs and security-related offices.
In a statement sent to journalists, the organization claimed that the attack was carried out by members of its so-called suicide squad, the Majeed Brigade. The organization did not disclose further details. The Baloch Liberation Army is designated by the United States as a global terrorist organization. It did not disclose further details.
The security official told Voice of America, “The attack started with a vehicle-borne bomb, but thank Allah it didn’t go off.” He said the militants then attacked the building with “grenades, rocket launchers and automatic assault rifles, but they were killed in counterfire.”
Residents and witnesses reported several explosions followed by sustained firing.
The deepwater port of Gwadar in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province is located near the Strait of Hormuz, an important oil transportation corridor in the Arabian Sea.
China built and directly operates the port. It is the centerpiece of the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) bilateral cooperation. “The CPEC is an extension of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure program.
Over the past decade, this bilateral cooperation has brought more than $25 billion in Chinese investment to Pakistan for the construction of road networks, power plants, and other infrastructure projects, including the Gwadar Port.
Balochistan has been mired in an insurgency led by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other outlawed organizations for decades. In recent years, insurgents have also attacked Chinese nationals working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other projects in Pakistan, resulting in several deaths.
Last August, Baloch insurgents ambushed a convoy carrying 23 Chinese engineers in Gwadar with a roadside bomb and then opened fire on them, but no foreigners were injured. The Baloch Liberation Army also claimed responsibility for that attack.
In addition, China is building an international airport in this coastal city. Pakistani officials say the project is expected to be inaugurated later this year.
