ISLAMABAD (AP) — A team of Chinese investigators arrived in Pakistan on Friday to join a probe into a suicide attack that killed five of its nationals earlier this week, officials said, as Pakistan continued its own investigations into the attack.
The slain Chinese engineers and workers were heading on Tuesday to the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in northwest Pakistan, when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into their vehicle.
A Pakistani driver was also killed in Tuesday’s attack in Shangla, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Beijing condemned the attack and asked Pakistan to conduct a detailed investigation and ensure protection of thousands of its nationals who work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
According to a government statement, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday briefed the Chinese investigators about Pakistan’s investigations into the attack.
Two days earlier, Pakistani officials shared with the Chinese embassy the preliminary findings of their investigation into the attack, for which so far no group has claimed responsibility.
Chinese working on CPEC-related projects have been targeted in Pakistan in recent years.
In July 2021, at least 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, were killed when a suicide bomber detonated the explosives in his vehicle near a bus carrying Chinese and Pakistani engineers and laborers, prompting Chinese companies to suspend work for a time.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani authorities will perform DNA testing on the remains of the suicide bomber who rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle in the country’s northwest, killing five Chinese nationals and their local driver, officials said Wednesday.
The attack occurred in Shangla, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where thousands of Chinese nationals work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which includes a multitude of megaprojects such as road construction, power plants and agriculture. The CPEC is a lifeline for Pakistan’s cash-strapped government, currently facing one of its worst economic crises.
The five were engineers and laborers heading Tuesday to the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, where they worked. Their remains were transported to the capital, Islamabad, local police official Altaf Khan said, adding that the deceased had a police escort when the attack happened.
Pakistani officials said they shared the latest investigation developments with their Chinese counterparts. China is expected to send its own experts Wednesday to the attack site to conduct an independent investigation while collaborating with Pakistani authorities.
Khan said they have further expanded a search that started a day earlier, looking for the attacker’s possible accomplices.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion is likely to fall on separatists as well as a breakaway Gul Bahadur faction of Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and is a separate group, but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban.
The TTP denied being behind the attack in a statement Wednesday, saying: “We are in no way related to the attack on the Chinese engineers.”
Tuesday’s attack came less than a week after Pakistani security forces killed eight Baluchistan Liberation Army militants who opened fire on a convoy carrying Chinese citizens outside the Chinese-funded Gwadar port in the volatile southwestern Baluchistan province.
The Chinese foreign ministry condemned the attack and offered “deep condolences to the deceased” in a statement Wednesday.
The ministry said China has asked “Pakistan to thoroughly investigate the incident as soon as possible, hunt down the perpetrators, and bring them to justice” and added that “any attempt to undermine China-Pakistan cooperation will never succeed”.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif promised a swift conclusion to the investigation during a visit with the Chinese ambassador, Jiang Zaidong, on Tuesday.
Chinese laborers working on CPEC-related projects in Pakistan have come under attack in recent years.
In July 2021, at least 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle near a bus carrying several Chinese and Pakistani engineers and laborers, prompting the Chinese companies to suspend work at the time. Pakistani authorities at the time initially insisted it was a road accident, but China disputed the claim, saying victims were the target of a suicide attack.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle Tuesday, killing five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver, police and government officials said.
The attack happened in Shangla, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police chief Bakhat Zahir said. He added that the five killed were construction workers and engineers heading to the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, where they worked.
Authorities said the bodies were transported to a nearby hospital, and that security forces started a search in the area to look for accomplices. Police also launched an investigation into the attack.
No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on Baluch separatists, who have claimed previous such attacks.
Tuesday’s attack came less than a week after Pakistani security forces killed eight Baluchistan Liberation Army militants who opened fire on a convoy carrying Chinese citizens outside the Chinese-funded Gwadar port in the volatile southwestern province of Baluchistan.
The BLA wants independence from the central government in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s top political and military leadership denounced the attack.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Chinese Embassy where he met with the Chinese ambassador, Jiang Zaidong, a government statement said. It said that Sharif condemned the attack, saying those who orchestrated it would be punished and that there would be a high-level investigation.
“The sympathies of the entire nation, including me, are with the families of the Chinese citizens” who were killed in the attack, he said.
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy condemned the attack and said it had requested Pakistan to “thoroughly investigate the attack and severely punish the perpetrators.”
Earlier, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack and offered condolences to the families of the deceased.
“The enemy has targeted Chinese citizens who are the friends of Pakistan,” he said in a statement, without saying whom he was referring to. He also vowed to deal with those responsible “with an iron hand,” and expressed hope that the attack would not negatively affect Pakistani-Chinese relations.
Naqvi also visited the Chinese Embassy in the capital, Islamabad, where he briefed the Chinese ambassador about the attack, promising a full investigation, according to the Ministry of Interior.
Also Tuesday, Pakistan’s military denounced the attack.
“Such heinous acts of violence against innocent civilians, foreigners and the armed forces will not deter the resolve of the Pakistani people, its security forces and our partners to root out the menace (of) terrorism from our country,” it said in a statement.
Thousands of Chinese nationals work in Shangla on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which includes a multitude of megaprojects such as road construction, power plants and agriculture.
The CPEC, also known as the One Road Project, is a lifeline for Pakistan’s cash-strapped government, currently facing one of its worst economic crises. The project is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a global endeavor aimed at reconstituting the Silk Road and linking China to all corners of Asia.
Chinese laborers working on CPEC-related projects in Pakistan have come under attack in recent years.
In July 2021, at least 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle near a bus carrying Chinese and Pakistani engineers and laborers, prompting the Chinese companies to suspend work at the time.
Since then, Pakistan has beefed up security on CPEC-related projects.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle Tuesday, killing five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver, police and government officials said.
The attack happened in Shangla, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police chief Bakhat Zahir said. He added that the five killed were construction workers and engineers heading to the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, where they worked.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province borders Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban have stepped up attacks there in recent years.
Authorities said the bodies were transported to a nearby hospital, and that security forces started a massive search in the area to look for accomplices. Police also launched an investigation into the attack.
Tuesday’s attack came less than a week after Pakistani security forces killed eight Baluchistan Liberation Army militants who opened fire on a convoy carrying Chinese citizens outside the Chinese-funded Gwadar port in the volatile southwestern Baluchistan province.
The BLA wants independence from the central government in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack in a statement on Tuesday and offered condolences to the families of the deceased. He wrote: “The enemy has targeted Chinese citizens who are the friends of Pakistan,” without elaborating who he was referring to. He also vowed to ”deal with an iron hand” those responsible, and expressed hope the attack wouldn’t negatively impact Pakistani-Chinese relations.
Naqvi also visited China’s embassy in the capital, Islamabad, where he briefed the Chinese ambassador, Jiang Zaidong, about the attack, promising a full investigation, according to the ministry of interior.
Thousands of Chinese nationals work in Shangla on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which includes a multitude of mega projects such as road construction, power plants and agriculture.
The CPEC, also known as the One Road Project, is a lifeline for Pakistan’s cash-strapped government, currently facing one of the worst economic crises. It is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a global endeavor aimed at reconstituting the Silk Road and linking China to all corners of Asia.
Chinese laborers working on CPEC-related projects in Pakistan have come under attack in recent years.
In July 2021, at least 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle near a bus carrying several Chinese and Pakistani engineers and laborers, prompting the Chinese companies to suspend work at the time.
Since then, Pakistan has beefed up security on CPEC-related projects.
___
Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed contributed to this report from Islamabad.
Some other European countries have already started evacuation flights from Niger
Getting British nationals out of Niger and to safety is a priority of the UK government, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said.
Violence has broken out in the west African country following last week’s military coup.
France and Italy have already started evacuating their citizens on flights from Niger.
Labour has urged the government to do the same, but no plans for Britons have yet been announced.
The government has so far advised British nationals to register their whereabouts and stay indoors.
Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said: “The situation in Niger is deteriorating rapidly following the recent coup, while the closure of Niger’s airspace is preventing British nationals from leaving by their own means.
“British nationals who want to get out of the country should now be supported by the government to evacuate.”
Mr Cleverly, who is currently in Nigeria as part of a three-country tour of Africa, said: “The UK government’s priority remains the safety of British nationals and helping them get out of the country to safety.”
The coup has prompted demonstrations against France, the former colonial power in Niger, with the French embassy coming under attack.
Early on Wednesday 262 people arrived in Paris from Niger, while Italy has also organised a flight, which arrived in Rome with 87 evacuees.
The plane was carrying 36 Italians, 21 Americans and one Briton, according to Reuters news agency.
Niger, which is rich in uranium, has been a key Western ally in the fight against jihadist extremism in the Sahel region. Both France and the US have military bases there.
There are an estimated 600 French nationals and 500 Italians – mostly in the military – in Niger but there are believed to be fewer than 100 British nationals. The Foreign Office is also advising any other Britons against travelling to Niger.
German citizens in Niger – who are thought to number fewer than 100 – have been urged to leave the country aboard planes organised by France, while the Spanish government said it was preparing to evacuate around 70 of its citizens.
President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s first democratically elected leader since the country’s independence in 1960, was detained by his presidential guards last week.
The West African regional bloc Ecowas has said it would use force unless the president was released and reinstated within a week.
But juntas in neighbouring Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, also former French colonies, warned any forcible intervention would be seen as a declaration of war.
There are concerns Niger’s new leadership could now move away from its Western allies and closer to Russia, like Burkina Faso and Mali, which have both pivoted towards Moscow since their own military coups.
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Foreign nationals lined up outside an airport in Niger’s capital Wednesday morning waiting for a third evacuation flight, while a regional bloc continued talks about its response to the coup that took place last week.
French forces in the capital, Niamey, evacuated hundreds of mostly French nationals to Paris on two flights Tuesday, following concerns that their citizens and other Europeans risked becoming trapped by last week’s military coup, which ousted and detained President Mohamed Bazoum.
France, Italy and Spain all announced evacuations for their citizens and other Europeans. The United States has yet to announce plans for an evacuation, however some have left the with the help of the Europeans.
An Italian military aircraft landed in Rome Wednesday with 99 passengers, including 21 Americans and civilians from other countries, said the Italian defense minister. The first of two French flights that landed in Paris overnight had 12 babies among 262 people aboard, most of them French but including evacuees from Niger, Portugal, Belgium, Ethiopia and Lebanon, France’s Foreign Ministry said.
Before sunrise Wednesday, hundreds of people lined up outside the terminal at Niamey’s airport hoping to leave, after a third flight was canceled the night before. Some slept on the floor, others watched video games or talked on the phone.
Some parents tried to shield their children from what was happening.
“I haven’t told them very much, just that they’re going home,” said a passenger who did not want to be named for security reasons.
“If ECOWAS (a West African regional bloc) intervenes, populations can attack ECOWAS nationals here. They’ve already made threats,” he said.
On Sunday, ECOWAS said it would use force against the junta if it didn’t release and reinstate the president within a week. The announcement was immediately rejected by neighboring Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, all of which are run by mutinous soldiers who toppled their governments.
Mali and Burkina Faso’s leaders said a military intervention in Niger “would be tantamount to a declaration of war” against them.
Niger was seen as one of the region’s last democracies and a partner Western countries could work with to beat back the jihadi violence that’s wracked the region. The United States, France and other European countries have poured millions of dollars of military aid and assistance into the country.
On Tuesday, United States said its Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with President Bazoum and underscored that the U.S. rejects efforts to overturn the constitutional order, and stands with the people of Niger, ECOWAS, the African Union and international partners in support of democratic governance and respect for the rule of law and human rights.
The defense chiefs of ECOWAS’ 15 members will meet in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, from Wednesday to Friday to discuss next steps in resolving the crisis, the bloc said in a statement.
At a virtual United Nations meeting on Tuesday night, the U.N. special envoy for West Africa and the Sahel said that efforts other than the threat of force are underway to restore democracy in Niger.
“One week can be more than enough if everybody talks in good faith, if everybody wants to avoid bloodshed,” said Leonardo Santos Simao. But, he added, “different member states are preparing themselves to use force if necessary.”
But some in the diplomatic community believe the use of force could be a real option.
ECOWAS is resolved to use military force after economic and travel sanctions have failed to roll back other coups, said a Western diplomat in Niamey who did not want to be identified for security reasons.
Niamey has calmed after protests supporting the junta turned violent Sunday when demonstrators attacked the French embassy and set fire to a door.
But some say the mood is still tense. During Tuesday’s evacuation flights at the airport, a passenger who did not want to be named for security reasons said that the Nigerien military, which was escorting an Italian military convoy into the airport, sped off with soldiers who raised their middle fingers at the passengers.
That same night, the M62 Movement, an activist group that has organized pro-Russia and anti-French protests, called for residents in Niamey to mobilize and block the airport until foreign military forces leave the country.
“Any evacuation of Europeans (should be) conditional on the immediate departure of foreign military forces,” Mahaman Sanoussi, the national coordinator for the group, said in a statement.
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AP journalists Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria, Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington DC, John Leicester in Paris and Frances D’Emilio in Rome, Italy contributed to this report.
French nationals to be evacuated from Niger as sensitive post-coup situation continues – CBS News
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France says it is going to evacuate its citizens from Niger beginning Tuesday, according to the country’s foreign ministry. This comes after a military junta overthrew Niger’s pro-western president during a coup last week. BBC News reporter Chris Ewokor joined CBS News to talk about the situation.
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British nationals in Niger are being urged to register their whereabouts with the UK government amid unrest sweeping the West African country,
Violent protests have broken out in Niger after a military junta seized control of the government last week.
France, Italy and Spain are all preparing rescue flights, but the Foreign Office have not announced any plans to evacuate people.
It has urged British nationals in the country to stay indoors.
The UK Foreign Office is understood to be closely monitoring the fast-moving situation and is keeping its plans under review.
Its travel advice has been updated to advise against all travel to Niger.
It is unclear how many British nationals are in the country. BBC News has asked the Foreign Office for a figure but has not received a response.
Officials are thought to be liaising with other countries on the ground, including France, the former colonial power in Niger.
The government in Paris announced evacuation plans for the roughly 600 French nationals in the country after hostile crowds surrounded its embassy on Sunday.
It said a limited number of flights would take place “very soon” because of the “deteriorating security situation” in the capital city Niamey.
A statement from the French foreign ministry said it would also help other European nationals leave the country if necessary.
The Italian government said it was putting on a “special flight for those (Italians) who want to leave the country”, AFP reported. It said there are around 500 Italian nationals in Niger.
German citizens in Niger – who are thought to number fewer than 100 – have been urged to leave the country aboard planes organised by France.
The Spanish government said it is preparing to evacuate around 70 of its citizens.
On Sunday the UK government announced it was suspending long-term development assistance to Niger in response to the coup, but will continue spending on humanitarian aid.
Andrew Mitchell, the minister for development and Africa, called for the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum to be “immediately reinstated to restore constitutional order”.
