Beijing supports Islamabad\u2019s counterterrorism efforts
\n BEIJING\/ PESHAWAR
\nPolice detained more than 12 people, including Afghan nationals, in connection with a suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers and their driver last week, a senior law enforcement source said on Tuesday.
\nThe engineers and their Pakistani driver were travelling towards the Dasu hydroelectric dam under construction by a Chinese firm in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa when a bomber rammed their vehicle and detonated.
\n\u201cMore than a dozen suspected individuals have been taken into custody,\u201d the police source told AFP on condition of anonymity. \u201cAmong the apprehended suspects are some Afghan nationals.\u201d
\nIslamabad has blamed a recent uptick in attacks in Pakistan on Afghanistan, accusing the Taliban government there of failing to rein in militants sympathetic to their cause. The Taliban government in Kabul has repeatedly denied giving safe haven to militants.
\nHowever, the senior police source said \u201cinitial evidence suggests the involvement\u201d of Pakistan\u2019s domestic chapter of the Taliban, which analysts say has close ties to the Afghan Taliban. The group \u2014 known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) \u2014 publicly denied involvement in the attack last Tuesday.
\nThe bombing sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity from Islamabad, eager to protect the billion-dollar investments Beijing has pledged under its \u201cBelt and Road\u201d initiative.
\nMeanwhile, China on Tuesday said it firmly supported Pakistan\u2019s counterterrorism measures as the South Asian nation encountered a surge in attacks.
\n\u201cChina firmly supports Pakistan\u2019s counterterrorism efforts, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during his regular briefing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beijing supports Islamabad\u2019s counterterrorism efforts BEIJING\/ PESHAWAR Police detained more than 12 people, including Afghan nationals, in connection with a suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers and their driver last week, a senior law enforcement source said on Tuesday. The engineers and their Pakistani driver were travelling towards the Dasu hydroelectric dam under construction […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":398046,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-398030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n