By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Five Japanese nationals narrowly escaped a suicide attack on their vehicle in Karachi, Pakistan’s financial capital, on Friday, as one attacker died in the blast and police gunned down his accomplice.
Two private security guards accompanying the Japanese nationals and three bystanders were also injured, officials added. One of the security guards, Noor Muhammad, later succumbed to his injuries.
“Noor Mohammad had been working in this company for more than two years,” Muhammad’s brother Rahib Ali told reporters outside the Jinnah hospital.
Television footage on local news channels widely showed a damaged van, as police officers arrived at the scene of the attack.
The incident occurred near Murtaza Chowrangi in Landhi, where the Japanese nationals were traveling in a bullet-proof van to the Export Processing Zone from their residence in Zamzama, said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) East Azfar Mahesar. “All five are safe and have been shifted to a safe location.”
Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) DIG Asif Aijaz Shaikh said the Japanese nationals were traveling with two security guards when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle hit them. Another suicide bomber who was providing backup was gunned down by a Sharafi Goth police party patrolling the area.
CTD in-charge Raja Umar Khattab said the Japanese nationals were traveling in a convoy of three cars when the suicide bomber and his accomplice attacked.
One of the two motorcycle-borne attackers set off explosives tied to his body as soon as the vehicle slowed, Khatab told reporters, but failed to strike his target.
“The accomplice panicked and began open firing after the suicide attack failed, I think he fired some 15 or 16 shots, but was quickly gunned down by officials, thanks to timely action by police and security guards.”
Authorities suspect the attackers carried out reconnaissance to identify the target and location of the attack.
Khtab said one of the suspects, Sohail Ahmed, 30, a resident of Balochistan’s Panjgur, was reportedly affiliated with the outlawed Baloch Republican Army and had been missing from his home since 2022.
No one immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on a separatist group or the Pakistani Taliban who have stepped up attacks on security forces in recent months.
In recent weeks, insurgents have also targeted Chinese who are working in Pakistan on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which includes a multitude of megaprojects such as road construction, power plants and agriculture.
In March, five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed when a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle when they were heading to the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, where they worked.
However, Japanese working in Pakistan have not been the target of any such attacks.
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