China praises Pakistani armed forces for preventing Chinese casualties in Gwadar hotel attack

China on Monday praised the Pakistan's security forces for their "swift action" in neutralising the terrorists who attacked a luxury hotel in Gwadar and ensured the safety of the Chinese personnel and institutions there.

Three militants of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), armed with automatic weapons, stormed the Pearl Continental (PC) hotel in Pakistan's port city of Gwadar on Saturday and opened random firing. 

Eight persons, including four civilians, a Pakistan Navy soldier, were killed and six others were injured in the deadly attack. All three attackers were also killed by the security forces.

"China strongly condemns the terrorist attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar, expresses its condolences to the victims' families and the injured," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here while answering a question on the BLA attack.

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"According to China's understanding there are no reports of Chinese casualties. Pakistan's security forces took swift measures to eliminate terrorists, effectively guaranteeing security and stability in Gwadar and the safety of local Chinese personnel and institutions. China appreciates this," he said.

According to a BBC report, the BLA said that the hotel, a centrepiece of a multi-billion-dollar Chinese project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), was selected in order to target Chinese and other investors.

A large number of Chinese are currently working in Gwadar, the key port in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province which is being linked to China's Xinjiang province as part of the USD 60 billion CPEC.

The BLA is opposing the foreign (Chinese) investments in Balochistan, saying they do not benefit the local people.

Geng said "China will continue to firmly support Pakistan's anti-terrorism efforts and believes that the Pakistani government and army are capable of maintaining national security and stability."

Referring to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement condemning the attack, the spokesperson said, "We note that Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack saying that it is an attempt to undermine Pakistan's economic prosperity and stressed that his country would not allow terrorist plots to succeed."

Geng said that China has always supported Pakistan's national development, and "we will continue to support Pakistan's economic and social development and the improvement of people's livelihoods." 

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