KARACHI: A preliminary report over the recent explosion near Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport has indicated that the attack was executed with the assistance of a foreign intelligence agency.
The report, submitted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) to the anti-terrorism court, stated that the suicide bombing targeted Chinese engineers as part of a conspiracy to damage Pakistan-China relations, as reported by Express news.
The report identified the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as being involved in the attack.
It suggested that an unidentified terrorist parked their vehicle close to a convoy of Chinese nationals before detonating the explosive.
The explosion occurred near the exit signal at Jinnah International Terminal, right in front of the CAA guardroom.
Upon hearing the blast, police arrived at the scene and found injured individuals, including personnel from police and Rangers.
Three people, including two Chinese nationals, Li Jun and Sun Huazhen, lost their lives in the incident.
More than 12 others sustained injuries, including Waqar, Ilyas, Naeem, Rano Khan, Azeem, Tariq, Ali, Hamza, and Sabih.
The blast resulted in the complete destruction of 15 vehicles.
A case has been registered at the Airport police station under the supervision of the station house officer.
The CTD’s report includes charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, use of explosive materials, and terrorism, among other counts.
Earlier this week, an initial investigation report into the suicide bombing near Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport confirmed the tragic event involved 70 to 80 kg of explosives.
According to Express News, the explosion specifically targeted a convoy of Chinese nationals, resulting in significant damage, including the destruction of three vehicles and the damage of an additional twelve.
The bomb disposal squad’s assessment indicated that the attacker had awaited the convoy’s arrival before launching the explosive-laden vehicle towards the target.
This attack, which occurred at a signal close to the airport, raised serious concerns regarding the security of foreign delegations in the area.
Authorities treated the incident as a calculated effort to target Chinese nationals, especially in light of the ongoing collaborative projects between Pakistan and China.
The investigation focused on understanding the motivations behind the bombing and the implications for the bilateral relationship.
In their efforts to identify the perpetrator, investigators uncovered that the vehicle used in the attack belonged to Shah Fahad, a resident of Nushki, Balochistan.
Authorities expanded their investigation into the region, analysing data associated with Fahad’s identification and phone records to build a clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding the attack.
