Attack on Pakistan oil company convoy kills 14


The security details were with a convoy of Government Oil and Gas Development Corporation Limited (OGDCL) on the coastal highway from the port city of Gwadar to the southern city of Karachi.

The attack killed seven soldiers and seven private security guards, which were carried out by “a large number of terrorists,” the military said in a statement.

The surrounding area has been sealed off and the search for the attackers continues.

The Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS), an umbrella organization of Baloch militant groups, has claimed responsibility for the attack. CNN will not be able to confirm the claim.

In a statement obtained by CNN, the coalition said that “companies like OGDCL are exploiting Baloch resources in their strategy to increase their occupation of Balochistan.”

Balochistan has seen decades of insurgency by separatists seeking independence from Pakistan, citing state monopolies and exploitation of the province’s mineral resources.

Calling for an end to all operations, Bruce said he “completely rejects all Chinese agreements with the occupying forces of Pakistan, and they are void.”

In 2015, under Beijing’s Belt and Road Trade and Infrastructure Plan, China turned Gwadar into the world’s largest est port. The coastal city in Balochistan is now the center of Chinese investment in Pakistan.

Gwadar and Balochistan have a heavy military presence along the coastline, which connects the port with a network of highways and railways.

This is the deadliest attack on the Pakistani military this year. In June, the Baloch Liberation Army, which is also affiliated with the BRAS, attacked Pakistan’s largest stock exchange in Karachi, killing five people.

Sofia Saifi and Salim Mehsud in Islamabad and Syed Ali Shah in Quetta contributed to the report.

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