At least nine Chinese nationals were reportedly killed and several others injured in a suicide attack in Gwadar city in Balochistan.

A vehicle carrying Chinese engineers was attacked on Friday (20 August) evening near construction site of the Gwadar’s Eastbay Expressway, which is part of China’s multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in Pakistan.

Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a rebel armed group that wants separation of Balochistan from Pakistan, has claimed the responsibility of the attack on its official twitter account. In its tweet, BLA also revealed the name and the photo of the attacker.

"BLA carried out a self-sacrificing operation against a convoy of Chinese engineers in Gwadar, Balochistan. At least 9 Chinese engineers were killed and several were injured in the attack," the rebel group said.

"This attack was carried out by BLA Majeed Brigade’s member, Sir Buland Baloch alias Umar Jan," it added.

Meanwhile, local police claimed thattwo children were killed and three got injured in the suicide blast that took place at around 7 pm, reported news agency Reuters.

The Pakistan interior ministry said in a statement that a Chinese national got injured in the attack and was rushed to a nearby hospital, reports Hindustan Times.