Gunmen whose identities are not known shot at Pakistan's Gwadar port authority complex in Balochistan province, which is known for unrest, as reported by Geo News on Wednesday. Security personnel responded by firing back, resulting in the death of two attackers. Before the gunfire, there was an explosion.
Officials from Gwadar, including the deputy commissioner and police, did not immediately provide comments when reached for responses.
Gwadar is close to the Strait of Hormuz, an important route for shipping oil in the Arabian Sea. It is a deep-water port crucial to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion project that includes roads and energy ventures and is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative. China has heavily invested in Balochistan, despite a long-running separatist movement in the region.
Various terrorist groups in Pakistan have previously targeted Chinese interests. In August, gunmen attacked a group of Chinese workers in Gwadar, with the Balochistan Liberation Army claiming responsibility for the incident. The Baloch Liberation Army's Majeed Brigade has now claimed responsibility for the recent attack.
According to the BLA's statement, they targeted the offices of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and military intelligence. This is the second significant attack by the Majeed Brigade within two months.
