As the three gunmen forced their way into Pakistan’s Zaver Pearl Continental Hotel on May 12, the management of the only five-star hotel in the city of Gwadar, Balochistan province – where China is building a multibillion-dollar port – had a prompt response.They contacted Pakistan’s Special Security Division (SSD), which dispatched a team of commandos within seven minutes of the call. The team killed the assailants, but one member, from the Pakistani Navy, and four hotel employees lost their lives.
Since the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) became operational in 2016-17, Chinese interests and Chinese nationals have been targeted by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has been fighting a long-running insurgency.
