A chilling video has emerged that captures the moment a suicide bomb blast inside a van in Karachi, Pakistan, killed three Chinese nationals and a Pakistani. The video captures the moment a massive blast rocks the University of Karachi when the ill-fated van enters the premise.
According to reports, the blast is believed to be the latest targeted attack against Chinese nationals. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Dawn. According to the Global Times, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan has demanded a probe into the terror attack.
Terror Strikes in Pakistan Again
A chilling surveillance TV footage has emerged that shows a white van moving slowly on a road on the premise of the University of Karachi when a powerful bomb rips through it. A woman is seen standing on the corner of the road, who according to reports is believed to be the suicide bomber.
According to reports, the explosion occurred around 2:30 pm local time in the van near the port city's China-built Confucius Institute, a non-profit institution that teaches Chinese language to local students.
According to Dawn, a representative for the institution stated that the victims, who were all in the vehicle, include the director of the Confucius Institute Director Huang Guiping, two teachers, Ding Mupeng and Chen Sa, and Khalid, the Pakistani driver. Raja Umar Khattab, a Counter-Terrorism Department official, said the attack was a suicide attack, adding that ball bearings were found at the site of the blast, Dawn reported.
Another video has emerged that shows the van up in flames after the blast, with the charred bodies inside.
Horrifying Scene
The bomb was first thought to have been caused by a gas cylinder but authorities later confirmed it to be a suicide terror attack. Although the BLA has taken the responsibility for the attack, it hasn't clariid why the Chinese were targeted.
Although there were conflicting reports regarding the explosion, senior police officer Muqqadas Haider indicated that preliminary investigations were underway and that it was possible that the blast was caused by a remote-controlled explosive device concealed within or near the van.
However, the woman seen standing next to the van, who could also be the suicide bomber.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif sent his condolences for the deaths and condemned the incident in a letter to the Chinese Embassy, according to the Global Times.
Sharif expressed his heartfelt sympathies to the victims' families and the Chinese government and stated he has ordered that the matter be thoroughly investigated and the offenders brought to justice.
However, this isn't the first time Chinese nationals have been targeted in Pakistan. Ten workers were killed by two gunmen on motorcycles in May 2017, which the BLA claimed was in retaliation for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
BLA once again stormed the Chinese Consulate-General in Karachi in November 2018. Two police policemen were killed in the incident. In August 2021, two Pakistani children were killed and one Chinese national was injured in an attack targeting Chinese nationals in Gwadar, Pakistan.
