Militants attacked a military convoy escorting Chinese citizens in Pakistan

Militants attacked a Pakistani military convoy near the strategic southwestern port of Gwadar as it was escorting a delegation of Chinese citizens to a construction site on Sunday, Reuters reported.

“During the operation, the terrorists used small arms and hand grenades,” the Pakistan Defense Ministry said in a statement. It is reported that two militants were killed, while military personnel or civilians were not injured.

The Chinese consulate in Karachi city condemned the attack, confirming in a statement that there were no casualties or injuries among Chinese citizens in the convoy. According to a source in the Pakistani security service, the attack was carried out purposefully against Chinese citizens who were heading from Gwadar airport towards a construction site in the port area.

China has invested heavily under its Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan's mineral-rich Balochistan province, including the development of the deep water port of Gwadar. It is located near the Strait of Hormuz, the most important oil transportation route in the Arabian Sea, and is being modernized with the active involvement of China.