Residents perform a funeral prayer for a victim of a suicide attack in the port city of Gwadar on Friday. Photo: AFP

On Friday, a suicide bombing took place at the East Bay Road in the port of Gwadar in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan. The blast injured one Chinese national, and unfortunately two Pakistani children were killed in the explosion. Many were wounded. 

Balochistan Liberation Army, a terrorist organisation, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Chinese embassy in Pakistan released a statement early Saturday, strongly condemning the terror attack.

Balochistan, a mountainous border province, is the most unsafe area for Chinese citizens and has been a hotbed of terror attacks over the past years. 

Due to historical reasons, the Baloch people were forcefully separated from the colonial forces and formed a strong sense of nationalism. The tribes in that province have a negative sentiment toward modern governance of Pakistan's central government, and gradually formed terrorist groups. They have no prior enmity toward China. 

Nevertheless, for the purpose of launching a heavy blow on the Pakistani government, they have begun to target and assault Chinese nationals working in Pakistan over the years to impose pressure on the Pakistani government. 

The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become a target of some terror forces in Pakistan, which has something to do with the incitement of some international forces. 

In this region, some US and Indian intelligence forces keen to infiltrate into Pakistan have held a hostile attitude toward China's BRI. Blocking the development of the BRI has become their main target to contain China's rise. 

And, the terror attack that targeted Chinese engineers who worked for the Dasu hydropower project is said to be fuelled by the Indian intelligence agency.

The intentions of the international forces must have influenced and incited terror forces in Pakistan. It is highly likely that those forces collude with and support terrorism in Pakistan. China must be prepared for a long-term fight, together with the Pakistani government, against terrorism in Pakistan. China needs to resolutely support the Pakistani government to crack down on terrorism.

In addition, we'd like to urge the new government in Afghanistan to strike the terrorist forces that were groomed in Afghanistan but now active in Pakistan. This is a window through which China could observe the new government of Afghanistan.

Terror forces in Balochistan, especially the notorious Balochistan Liberation Army, have conducted the most attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan. And, the Pakistani Taliban is a vital threat too. 

China will not only support Pakistan to strike a heavy blow to these terror forces, but also warn all the external forces to stay away from those terror forces. Once China obtains evidence that they support terrorist forces in Pakistan, China will punish them.