KARACHI, Pakistan >> A suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden vest close to a van carrying Japanese autoworkers, who narrowly escaped the assault Friday that wounded three bystanders in Pakistan’s port metropolis of Karachi, police mentioned.
The van had been heading to an industrial space the place the 5 Japanese nationals labored at Pakistan Suzuki Motors, native police chief Arshad Awan mentioned. He mentioned police escorting the Japanese returned fireplace after coming underneath assault, killing an confederate of the suicide bomber whose stays have been discovered from the scene of the assault.
“All the Japanese who were the target of the attack are safe,” he mentioned.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the assault on the Japanese nationals. In separate statements, they praised police for shortly responding and foiling the assault. They additionally vowed to eradicate terrorism and prayed for the speedy restoration of these wounded within the assault.
Images on native news channels confirmed a broken van, as law enforcement officials arrived on the scene of the assault. Awan mentioned the three passersby who have been wounded within the assault have been in secure situation at a hospital.
Police have been escorting the van after receiving stories about doable assaults on foreigners who’re working in Pakistan on numerous Chinese-funded and different initiatives, mentioned Tariq Mastoi, a senior police officer. He mentioned a well timed and fast response from the guards and police foiled the assault and each attackers have been killed.
No one instantly claimed duty, however suspicion is more likely to fall on a small separatist group or the Pakistani Taliban who’ve stepped up assaults on safety forces in recent times. Insurgents have additionally focused Chinese who’re working in Pakistan on initiatives referring to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which features a multitude of megaprojects reminiscent of street development, energy vegetation and agriculture.
In March, 5 Chinese and their Pakistani driver have been killed when a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan rammed his explosive-laden automobile right into a car after they have been heading to the Dasu Dam, the most important hydropower challenge in Pakistan, the place they labored.
However, Japanese working in Pakistan haven’t been the goal of any such assaults.
Karachi is the biggest metropolis in Pakistan and the capital of southern Sindh province.