Pakistani Taliban may be behind bus attack that killed 9 Chinese, analysts say

Explosion in northwestern Pakistan killed 13 in total, including Chinese workers travelling to a hydropower dam construction site

No group has claimed responsibility, but the Pakistani Taliban operates in the region

Reading Time:3 minutes

The bus plunged into a ravine following the attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province last week. Photo: AP

Published: 12:53pm, 21 Jul 2021Updated: 1:19pm, 21 Jul 2021

The Pakistani Taliban could be responsible for last week’s bus attack in the country that killed 13 people including nine Chinese nationals, security analysts said.

Both Pakistan and China have classified the explosion in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as a terror attack, but so far no group has claimed responsibility.

Security analysts said that based on available information and the location, the Pakistani Taliban could be involved.

“The location was a region where the Pakistani Taliban is active, and there are some tribal armed groups there, too,” said Li Wei, a counterterrorism expert with China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing. “I think they are the two leading suspects of the attack.

“The Pakistani Taliban is not a concentrated group of anti-government militants, but a coalition of many tribal groups.”

Li was referring to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, also referred to as TTP or the Pakistani Taliban.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x