These distinctive destinations provide a mix of retail therapy and creative experiences for visitors
entertainment2 hours ago
Three suicide attackers stormed the Chinese consulate in the Pakistani city of Karachi amid a series of gunshots and an explosion on Friday, but were killed before they could force their way in with a car packed with explosives, police said.
The attack, claimed by separatist insurgents from the impoverished southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan, killed four people, including two police officers, but it was far from the most deadly on a particularly violent day across the region.
A suicide attacker on a motorbike set off explosives in a crowded festival and market in northwest Pakistan’s Orakzai region, killing at least 25 people at around the same time as the Karachi bloodshed.
Over the border in eastern Afghanistan, a suicide blast at a mosque on an army base killed at least 26 people and wounded 50, security officials said. Earlier in the week, a suicide bomber killed 55 people in the capital, Kabul.
The attack on China’s consulate in Karachi was claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) insurgent group that opposes Chinese projects linked to its Belt and Road initiative in resource-rich Baluchistan.
Two policemen and two people waiting in a queue outside the consulate were killed in the attack, along with the three gunmen.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called it “part of conspiracy” against Pakistani and Chinese economic and strategic cooperation and ordered an inquiry, his office said.
‘EXPLOITING RESOURCES’
As the Karachi attack unfolded, an explosion and gunshots rang out in its affluent Clifton neighbourhood and a plume of smoke rose over the area.
City police chief Amir Shaikh said the three attackers came in a car filled with explosives but failed to get inside the heavily fortified compound. It was not clear if the car had exploded.
“They tried to get inside, but the Rangers and police killed one of the terrorists,” Shaikh said.
A gun battle broke out with the two other attackers trying to enter the visa section, but they were also killed, he said.
A spokesman for the BLA confirmed there were three attackers.
“China is exploiting our resources,” spokesman Jiand Baloch told Reuters by telephone.
China has funded development of a deepwater port at Gwadar in south Baluchistan, and is also investing in other projects on a China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Baluchistan, which is on the borders of Afghanistan and Iran, has rich mineral and natural gas reserves but is Pakistan’s poorest province.
Separatists have for decades campaigned against what they see as the unfair exploitation of resources, in particular natural gas and minerals.
The Chinese government’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, said he was “shocked” by the attack and urged Pakistan to prevent any more such incidents.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said China would “continue unswervingly” to work with Pakistan to develop economic projects.
The suicide bomb attack in the Afghan border province of Khost came as people gathered for Friday prayers at the mosque on the army base.
The blast in Pakistan’s Orakzai region was also at a Friday festive gathering.
There was no claim of responsibility for either of those blasts.
These distinctive destinations provide a mix of retail therapy and creative experiences for visitors
entertainment2 hours ago
Managed by Dubai Culture, these sites represent the legacy of Dubai's historical inhabitants and their interactions with others in the Near East
uae2 hours ago
Rental rate growth has been mixed over the last three months and average apartment and villa rates have remained more or less unchanged
realty2 hours ago
The 'Shure Movemic Two Receiver Kit' is a wireless microphone that can elevate the audio quality of your content to professional levels
gadgets2 hours ago
Put on your apron and try this delicious pizza recipe which is easy to make
recipes3 hours ago
The artificial archipelago will house approximately 35,000 families in the future
uae4 hours ago
Figures showed that 70,000 Emiratis have taken jobs at private companies in the last two and a half years after the launch of Nafis programme
uae4 hours ago
Road and Transport authority completed internal road and street lighting projects in four residential areas covering 35 km
transport4 hours ago