KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: A woman is believed to have carried out a suicide attack on a van carrying Chinese and other teachers of Karachi University.
CTD chief in Karachi, Raja Umar Khattab told media that woman was involved in this suicide attack.
Female suicide bomber Shari Baloch, was a school teacher and mother of two children. The banned militant outfit, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Four people, including three Chinese national, were killed and four others sustained injuries in a suicide attack outside the University of Karachi’s (KU) Confucius Institute.
A spokesperson for the university confirmed that three of the victims were Chinese nationals. They were identified as Confucius Institute Director Huang Guiping, Ding Mupeng, Chen Sai and Khalid, the driver.
Sindh IG Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar confirmed the death toll in a telephone call with Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. A handout from the CM’s office quoted the officer as saying that the blast took place at approximately 2:30pm.
The spokesperson also identified two of the injured as Wang Yuqing and Hamid.
Earlier in the day, SSP East Syed Abdul Rahim Sherazi had hinted that a “couple” of Chinese nationals, who were part of KU faculty, were among the deceased.
Television footage showed a white van in flames with plumes of smoke rising from its remains while the windows of nearby buildings were shattered. The van appeared to be turning towards the Confucius Institute, located next to the commerce department, when the incident took place.
Ball bearings found
Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) official Raja Umar Khattab said that the suicide attack was carried out by a woman, adding that ball bearings were found at the site of the blast.
He said the van was properly guarded as a Rangers team was escorting it which was why an improvised explosive device (IED) was not used instead.
Responding to a question, the CTD official said he did not believe a security lapse was the reason behind the attack since thousands of students were coming and going out of the university and checking each of them was a problem.
CCTV footage of the attack showed a burqa-clad woman standing outside the entrance of the Confucius Institute. The woman detonated herself just as the van neared the institute’s entrance.
