A suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden vest near a van carrying Japanese autoworkers in Pakistan's port city of Karachi on Friday. Fortunately, the autoworkers narrowly escaped the attack, but three bystanders were wounded in the incident.
The attack occurred as the van was en route to an industrial area where the Japanese nationals worked at Pakistan Suzuki Motors, according to local police chief Arshad Awan. Police escorting the Japanese retaliated after being attacked, resulting in the death of an accomplice of the suicide bomber whose remains were found at the scene.
All the Japanese individuals targeted in the attack are reported to be safe, as confirmed by Awan. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and commended the police for their swift response in thwarting the incident. They expressed determination to combat terrorism and extended prayers for the swift recovery of the wounded.
Images broadcasted on local news channels depicted the damaged van at the scene, with Awan stating that the injured bystanders were in stable condition at a nearby hospital. Tariq Mastoi, a senior police officer, mentioned that the police were escorting the van based on reports of potential threats to foreigners working on Chinese-funded projects in Pakistan.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, but suspicions point towards a small separatist group or the Pakistani Taliban, known for escalating attacks on security forces in recent years. Insurgents have also targeted Chinese nationals involved in projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a significant initiative encompassing various infrastructure projects.
In a separate incident, an Afghan Taliban religious scholar, Mohammad Omar Jan Akhundzada, was fatally shot by gunmen inside a mosque in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's Baluchistan province. The attack, which occurred on Thursday, has not been claimed by any group.
Chief Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid denounced the killing of Akhundzada, highlighting his role as a teacher at a jihadi seminary in Afghanistan's Kandahar province and a member of the Taliban oversight committee of Islamic scholars.
