Law enforcement at the scene of an explosion, near Karachi airport, Pakistan, October 7, 2024. FAREED KHAN / AP A very strong explosion took place on Sunday October 6 on a road near the Karachi airport, in the south of the country, while a separatist group claimed responsibility for an attack in the region. A journalist from Agence France-Presse heard the explosion around 11 p.m. local (8 p.m. in Paris) on Sunday. Local television channel Geo News reported two dead and ten injured. The regional government of Sindh province said on X that a “tanker truck” had exploded on the airport road. Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority said flights from Karachi were continuing “as usual”. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) said in a statement on Monday that it had “targeted a high-level convoy of Chinese engineers and investors” arriving from Karachi airport. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers In Pakistani Baluchistan, families of victims of repression demand justice Add to your selections Chinese interests already targeted in the past Chinese interests have often been targeted in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan (southwest). This province is rich in hydrocarbons and minerals, but its population complains of being marginalized and robbed of its natural resources. The BLA has regularly targeted Chinese nationals, saying ethnic Baloch residents were not receiving their fair share of the wealth extracted by foreign investors. The armed group claimed responsibility in August for a series of coordinated attacks that left around fifty people dead. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers Pakistan: deadly attacks in Baluchistan Add to your selections Le Monde with AFP Reuse this content
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