China will continue to support Pakistan in counter-terrorism operations, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, after two Chinese nationals were wounded in a shooting in the country’s commercial hub Karachi last week.
China and Pakistan have the determination and ability to thwart all attempts to undermine China-Pakistan relations and make terrorists pay the price, spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference in Beijing.
Last month, a powerful explosion “targeting foreign nationals” just outside the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi left two Chinese dead and 17 wounded on Sunday evening.
The explosion occurred on a road leading out of the airport, specifically at a location where security personnel’s vehicles are typically parked for incoming flights. The area is usually occupied by vehicles assigned to VIP security. Eight cars were damaged in the incident.
Earlier in the day, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Lanjar confirmed to the media that at least three suspects including a “mastermind” of the Karachi airport attack on the Chinese nationals have been arrested.
“The explosives used in the attack were a white-coloured chemical that had been utilised during World War II in Germany, with the total weight of the explosives estimated to be between 30 to 40 kilogrammes,” he told a press conference in Karachi.
One of the masterminds of the suicide bombing, Javed alias Sameer, and his accomplice Gul Nisa were arrested at CD Highway near Umar Goth Chowk, Karachi, during an intelligence-based operation on Sunday. The two had entered Karachi via Hub, Lanjar said.
“An investigation revealed Javed’s direct involvement in the suicide bombing, while Gul Nisa had facilitated [him],” the home minister stated and added that the woman was brought along to avoid any rigorous security checks.
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The minister identified the suicide bomber as “Shah Fahad, also known as Aftab,” stating that parts of the vehicle and the licence plate were recovered from the scene. The bomber was figured out through his fingerprints since his face and much of his torso were burnt during the explosion.
“With the help of eyewitness accounts, investigators prepared sketches of accomplices of the suicide bomber,” Lanjar said and added that investigations indicated a rickshaw driver was present with the vehicle used in the attack.
