KARACHI, 22 April 2006 — Police arrested two Baloch separatists suspected of involvement in the killing of three Chinese engineers near the port city of Karachi.
Three Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver were killed in a drive-by shooting in February in the southern town of Hub, just inside Balochistan province, home to the country’s largest gas fields and richest mineral deposits.
The militants — Wali Mohammad and Mohammad Hussian — were arrested in Karachi’s western district, when they were traveling in a car to Balochistan, said Chaudhry Amir, a deputy superintendent of police.
“Both of them are the main suspects in the case and we also have seized a hand grenade and a pistol from them,” Amir said.
He said police suspected that the men belonged to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant group listed as a terrorist organization by the government earlier this month.
The BLA has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in recent months, including the one in February on Chinese engineers. Baloch militants have been fighting for more autonomy and control over the oil and gas resources of their region for decades but they intensified their campaign over the past year. Some rebel leaders recently surrendered to the authorities with the weapons.
