One person has died and at least 10 others, including a foreign national, have been injured after an explosion near a major airport in Pakistan, officials said.
The blast which happened around 23:00 local time (18:00BST) happened close to Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on Sunday night. A convoy of foreigners had reportedly been close to the site.
The cause is not yet known, however the Interior Minister for Sindh province Zia-ul-Hasan Linjar has been reported by GEO News to have said it was suspected to be an improvised explosive device (IED) strike.
The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a statement released on Monday, the militant group said it had “targeted a high-level convoy of Chinese engineers and investors” arriving from Karachi airport.
Pakistan’s Balochistan province has a rich supply of natural resources, including gas and minerals and is a crucial part of a multi-billion dollar project funded by China.
The BLA along with other ethnic Baloch groups has fought a long-running insurgency for a separate homeland.
It has regularly targeted Chinese nationals in the region, claiming ethnic Baloch residents were not receiving their share of wealth extracted from foreign investors.
There has also been heightened security in Pakistan as it prepares to host the leaders’ summit of the Shangai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
The blast was reportedly heard in various areas around the city, with footage from local media showing thick smoke and cars set alight.
A police surgeon, Dr Summaiya told Dawn News: “Ten injured persons, including one in critical condition, have been brought the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College (JPMC).”
She added the injured included a police constable and a woman.
A statement posted on X from Sindh’s Interior Minister’s office said that a “tanker truck” had exploded on Airport Road and said the minister was in contact with the Malir Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) regarding the incident.
“We need to ascertain the facts,” the statement said.
