Two Chinese nationals among three killed in Karachi 'suicide bombing'

A massive suiicide bombing on a road near the airport in Karachi killed three people including two Chinese nationals and injured 17 others with Beijing’s embassy confirming on Monday that its citizens were caught up in the explosion, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden double-cabin vehicle into the convoy of the Chinese, resuling in a huge explosion and massive blaze, destroying 15 vehicles.

The investigators were able to locate the remains of the double-cabin vehicle which was used in the Karachi terrorist attack.

According to sources, the vehicle exploded into pieces but its chassis number remained safe.

The investigating team said there was heavy quantity of explosives stored in the double-cabin and the vehicle's remains were being sent for forensic analysis.

The sources further said that the double-cabin was registered in the name of alleged suicide bomber Shah Fahad.

An AFP journalist heard the explosion near the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi around 11:00 pm Sunday night which was also heard in far-off areas like Qayyumabad, Defence and Jamshed Road.

The target of the explosion was a vehicle carrying foreign nationals. The blast caused a fire which destroyed 15 vehicles including a police mobile van and two rickshaws.

The fire-brigade vehicles were called in which doused the blaze.

The Sindh government, in its earlier statement, said on X that a "tanker" had exploded on the airport motorway.

The injured which included Rangers and police personnel were rushed to different hospitals while DIG East Azfar Maheisar said they were trying to ascertain the cause of blast and would not say anything definite until the forensic report is received.

Militant group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), said in a statement that it had "targeted a high-level convoy of Chinese engineers and investors" coming from Karachi's airport.

Earlier, Beijing's embassy in Islamabad said in a statement on Monday that two Chinese citizens had been killed in a "terror attack" on a convoy of personnel from the Chinese-funded Port Qasim power project.

The attack also left one Chinese and several Pakistani citizens wounded, the embassy said.

The embassy urged authorities to "conduct a thorough investigation of the attack and severely punish the killers, while at the same time taking practical measures to fully ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects".

Civil Aviation Authority said flights from Karachi were continuing "as usual" and "agencies are investigating the cause at the scene of the accident/explosion".

Meanwhile, the dead bodies of the two Chinese nationals were shifted to Chippa cold storage, where heavy security was also positioned.

CM Murad pays condolence visit to Chinese Consulate

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday visited the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Karachi and offered his condolences to the Chinese Consul General Yang Yundong over the killing of Chinese nationals in an explosion near Karachi airport the previous night.

Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, Chief Secretary Syed Asif Haider Shah, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon and IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon accompanied the chief minister.

Murad said, ‘I am deeply saddened by the killing of the Chinese in the explosion near the airport.’

He offered his condolences to the Chinese government and bereaved families for the loss of lives of Chinese citizens.

Murad also recorded his comments in the condolence book.

Reporters Javed Qaimkhani, Faran Khan, Mairaj Akhtar, Anwar Abbas and Anusha Jaffery/Agencies