At least four people have been killed and dozens injured when a car bomb exploded at an Iraqi police recruiting center at Kisak, west of Pakistan.
The blast took place in the parking lot of the Serena – a luxury hotel chain throughout Pakistan – in the city of Quetta, the capital of the province of Balochistan, where the army has been fighting a decade-long low-level uprising.
“At least four people have been killed and 12 others injured,” Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told AFP, describing it as an “act of terrorism”.
” A Chinese delegation of about four people led by the ambassador stayed at the hotel.
“The ambassador was at a meeting when the explosion took place,” he added.
The Pakistani Taliban later claimed responsibility for the bombing, which it said was a suicide bombing.
Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong met in the city earlier in the day, according to provincial minister Jam Kamal Khan, according to a tweet of the spokesperson of the provincial government, Liaquat Shahwani.
Home Affairs Minister Ziaullah Lango told reporters: “I just met him. He is excited, “the envoy added, completing his visit to Quetta on Thursday. There were no immediate comments from the Chinese embassy in Pakistan.
Balochistan is poor despite its natural resources – a source of great anger for residents who complain that they do not receive a fair share of the gas and mineral wealth.
Resentment is fueled by billions of dollars of Chinese money flowing through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into the region – a key part of China’s belt and road initiative – which local residents say is giving them little benefit as most new jobs went to outsiders. .
Azhar Ikram, a senior police officer in the city, confirmed the death toll and said the Chinese ambassador was staying at the hotel but was not present during the blast.
“The first investigation indicates that it was an IED in one of the vehicles,” Ikram said.
Senior police officer Azhar Akram said officers were trying to determine if the bomb had been planted in a vehicle parked in the hotel’s parking lot. He did not provide further details and said police were still investigating. Other security officers said the bomb exploded minutes after a car entered the parking lot, and authorities are investigating to determine if it was a suicide attack.
In 2019, gunmen stormed a luxury hotel overlooking a CPEC project – the deep-water port in Gwadar that gives China strategic access to the Arabian Sea – killing at least eight people.
And in June, Baloch insurgents targeted the Pakistan Stock Exchange, which is partly owned by Chinese companies.
All the attacks were claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army.
It comes after more than a week of violent anti-France protests led by an extremist party in the eastern city of Lahore.