Attacker killed while trying to enter Gwadar port complex
Karachi:
Heavily armed terrorists today forced their way into the Gwadar Port Authority building and opened fire, with multiple explosions reported in Pakistan’s troubled port district of Balochistan, media reported.
Dawn.com quoted Makran Commissioner Saeed Ahmed Umrani as saying that a large number of police and security forces arrived at the scene and intense firing was taking place.
Security forces foiled an attack on the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) complex and killed eight attackers, The Express Tribune reported, citing sources. The attacker was allegedly shot dead while trying to enter the port building.
The Majeed Brigade of the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, the report said.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baluch rebel groups have previously launched attacks against the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Thousands of Chinese personnel are working on various projects in Pakistan under the auspices of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Separatist Balochistan opposes Chinese investment in Balochistan and accuses China and Pakistan of exploiting the resource-rich province.
The attack came on a day when Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed that his government would not tolerate any act of cross-border terrorism.
According to the annual security report released by the think tank Center for Research and Security Studies, 789 terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations occurred in Pakistan in 2023, resulting in 1,524 violent deaths and 1,463 injuries, a six-year high.
