Pakistan Investigates Whether Attack Targeted China’s Ambassador

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Authorities are investigating whether the Chinese ambassador was the target of a suicide bombing in a restive Western province, Pakistani officials said, in what could be the latest attack in the country directed at a Chinese target.

Pakistan is a close ally of China and has been one of the main recipients of money through Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, but recent attacks have illustrated the security threat posed by China’s presence in the country.

The bomb ripped through the parking lot of a hotel in the western city of Quetta on Wednesday night, killing at least five people and wounding around a dozen more, Pakistani officials said.

The Chinese ambassador, Nong Rong, was staying at the hotel, which is in a heavily guarded part of the city. He was due to return there from a dinner meeting outside the hotel when the blast occurred, Pakistani officials said.

It wasn’t clear who was behind the attack. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed pointed the finger at unnamed foreign powers that he said were attempting to destabilize the country, a likely reference to India. Islamabad frequently accuses India of being behind attacks in Pakistan, an allegation New Delhi denies.