Security forces have shot dead the three gunmen, who stormed Zaver Pearl-Continental Hotel in the restive Pakistani province of Balochistan, killing at least one guard, officials say.

The siege on Zaver Pearl-Continental, a five-star hotel in the strategic port city of Gwadar, often patronized by top government officials and foreign visitors, lasted several hours.

At least a guard was killed when the gunmen stormed the hotel at around 16:50 local time (11:50 GMT).

Security forces engaged the militants in a shoot-out, before subsequently neutralizing them.

BBC reports that a hotel spokesman said the hotel had no guests and few staff due to Ramadan, at the time of the attack.

The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said it targeted Chinese and other investors, as the hotel was the centre-piece of a multi-billion-dollar Chinese project.

They are averse to Chinese investment, viewing it to be of little benefit to locals.

Culled from BBC

pub-5160901092443552

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *