Two children killed, three injured in Gwadar suicide blast

At least two children were killed and three others injured after a suicide blast targeting a vehicle carrying Chinese nationals took place in Gwadar, Balochistan on Friday, said the provincial government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani.

"Two children have been killed and three injured in the attack," Shahwani, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said, while condemning the attack.

Shahwani said that the children were playing nearby when the explosion occurred, adding that police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) are now at the crime scene. A Chinese national also sustained minor injuries in the attack.

Security officials cordoned off the area, and began an investigation into the incident.

In a statement, the Pakistan interior ministry said that a young boy ran out of a nearby fishermen colony and exploded himself about 15-20 metres from the convoy.

"As a result a Chinese national was injured, he was rushed to nearby Gwadar hospital where he is stable," the ministry said.

The vehicles carrying Chinese nationals were escorted by army and police.

Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said the attack is just another expression of sabotage against the economic vision of China and Pakistan, saying that the government would spare no effort in bringing the culprits to justice.

Pakistan is already undertaking a comprehensive review of security of Chinese nationals in the country, the interior ministry statement added.

Bus 'blast' near Dasu project kills at least 13, including 9 Chinese

The incident comes a little over a month after the Dasu bus attack in which 13 people, including nine Chinese workers and two Pakistani soldiers, were killed.

While Pakistan's foreign ministry initially blamed a mechanical failure for a "leakage of gas that caused a blast", China's foreign ministry decried the incident as a bomb attack that caused injuries and death to its nationals. However, later, officials in Pakistan said that the investigation led to the conclusion that terrorism could not be ruled out as traces of explosives were found at the site of the incident.

In another incident, in Karachi, a Chinese national was shot at and wounded when the victim was being driven to the city's industrial area.

Chinese national shot and wounded in Karachi

China is a close ally and major investor in Pakistan, and various militants opposed to the Pakistani government have in the past attacked Chinese projects and citizens.

China is also heavily involved in the development of the Gwadar port as part of a $60-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is itself part of Beijing's Belt and Road infrastructure project.

The two countries have forged deeper ties with the CPEC project with energy, infrastructure, and transport forming part of the overall relationship. It has also resulted in thousands of Chinese workers and engineers coming to work in Pakistan over the last six years.