Update: 5 Chinese nationals killed in suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan

UPDATES WITH PREMIER SHEHBAZ’S VISIT TO CHINESE EMBASYAND OTHER DETAILS, NO CHANGE IN LEDE, HEADER AND DECK

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least five Chinese nationals and their local driver were killed in a suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, police said.

The terrorism incident occurred in the Shangla district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle carrying Chinese nationals, and others, Mohammad Ali, deputy inspector general of Malakund region, which includes Shangla district, told reporters.

Chinese engineers were on their way from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu in the Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Gandapur added.

The vehicle fell into a gorge after the blast, according to Gandapur.

Rescuers have recovered four bodies so far, and the search for the remaining two is underway, according to Bilal Faizi, spokesman for Rescue 1122 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who added two of them are badly burned.

Footage aired on local broadcaster Geo News showed a charred vehicle in the middle of a narrow hilly road, with security personnel collecting evidence from the scene.

As of yet, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organization for several militant groups operating in Pakistan, has been linked to attacks on Chinese workers in the past terror attacks in the region.

In July 2021, nine Chinese nationals were killed in a suicide attack in the Upper Kohistan district of the province.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed "deep grief" at the deaths of the Chinese nationals.

Shehbaz went to the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad and met with Ambassador Jiang Zaidong to express his condolences for the deaths of Chinese nationals.

He assured the Chinese ambassador that his government will conduct a “high-level” investigation into the “heinous” terrorist attack, and bring the perpetrators to justice, said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

Jiang, for his part, thanked Shehbaz for his visit and “determination” about “Pakistan-China friendship.”

Pakistan has seen an uptick in terrorist attacks since the Afghan Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in Aug. 2021.

Islamabad blames the recent spate of terrorism on TTP militants, who are currently based in Afghanistan, a charge that Kabul flatly denies.