ISLAMABAD — A suicide bomber killed 25 people at a market and religious festival in northern Pakistan just hours after gunmen assaulted the Chinese Consulate in the southern city of Karachi, killing four.
The attacker in the northern Orakzai district drove a motorcycle into the heart of a weekly market and festival and the blew himself up, according to Reuters.
Pakistani authorities have long battled militants in these remote regions near the Afghan border. Although no group has yet claimed responsibility, many speculate the attack may have been targeting the Shiite religious minority.
The blast came just hours after police in Karachi foiled a morning assault by four gunmen against the Chinese Consulate, which left two policemen, two civilians and three of the gunmen dead.
The assault took place around 9 a.m. when four gunmen tried to enter the consulate located in the city’s upscale Clifton area, but were stopped by the policemen and security guards at the check point, local police officials said.
In addition to the exchange of gunfire, eyewitnesses told Pakistan’s Dawn news channel an explosion was heard. The footage broadcast on TV showed smoke rising from the Chinese consulate building.
Security forces rushed to the spot and cordoned off the whole area.
“Three attackers have been killed in the exchange of fire with our forces. All the Chinese diplomats and other staff at the consulate are safe and they remained unharmed during the attack,” said senior police official, Amir Shaikh, to journalists on the scene. Because of the quick response of police and guards, the terrorists couldn’t reach the diplomats, he said, adding that operation has been completed but search was still going on to see if there were any other suspects.
According to Pakistani news channels, a separatist group, the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed the responsibility for the attack. The group has previously attacked Chinese workers and construction projects in Baluchistan, a Pakistani province at the heart of the mega project, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which involves huge Chinese investments in Pakistani infrastructure.
The $62 billion port and transportation corridor would connect far western China with the Indian Ocean via Kashmir’s lofty mountain passes.
[Islamist terrorism wanes in Pakistan, but religious fervor threatens national unity]
Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the assault on Chinese Consulate.
“The incident is part of conspiracy against Pakistan and China economic and strategic cooperation,” said a statement from his office. “However, such incidents will never be able to undermine Pak-China relationship that is mightier than Himalaya and deeper than Arabian Sea.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Friday condemned the attack and demanded that “the Pakistani side take practical measures to protect the safety of Chinese institutions in Pakistan.”
Hassan Askari Rizvi, a Lahore based security analyst, said the attack was aimed at undermining ties between the two countries, noting Chinese nationals had been attacked in the past.
“The terrorists want to create panic and fear and an attack on a diplomatic mission creates international headlines,” he said. “Such attacks show the threat of terror is still very much there and it’s far from over.”
The two attacks on opposite sides of the country were likely unconnected, but underline the myriad security challenges Pakistan faces, including from separatists as well as militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Taliban based in the northern border regions.
Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, the army chief of staff, spoke Friday about the challenges still facing the country after years of anti-terrorism operations.
“We are now into the phase of stability operations,” he said during a visit to the Pakistani city of Multan. “War against terrorism and militancy is not over yet. Besides kinetic efforts we have to take on measures to address the root causes.”
Haq Nawaz Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan.
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