Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack, describing it as part of a conspiracy against Pakistan and China’s economic and strategic cooperation.
KARACHI, Pakistan — Armed separatists stormed the Chinese Consulate in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Friday, triggering an intense hour-long shootout.
Two Pakistani civilians, two police officers and all three assailants were killed, according to Pakistani officials.
The brazen assault was claimed by a militant group from the southwestern province of Baluchistan and reflected the separatists’ attempt to strike at the heart of Pakistan’s close ties with major ally China. Beijing has invested heavily in road and transportation projects in the country, including in Baluchistan.
All the Chinese diplomats and staff at the consulate were safe and were not harmed during the attack or the shootout, senior police official Ameer Ahmad Sheikh said.
Following the attack, China asked Pakistan to beef up security at the mission. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that China would not waver in its latest major project in Pakistan — the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor — and expressed confidence that Pakistan could ensure security.
