ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Heavily armed gunmen attacked a luxury hotel in southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, in an assault in which a Pakistani separatist group claimed to be targeting Chinese interests and warned of further violence. “After more than 10 hours of continuous battle and achieving all their targets the BLA fighters have used their last bullets on them and have left this world,” said a Twitter post by what claims to be the official account of the separatist group, the Baluchistan Liberation Army. It added: “Expect more attacks China and Pakistan.” [Update: Pakistan says 5 killed in luxury hotel attack.] A Pakistani military official said that the gunmen had killed a security guard at the hotel entrance. The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad said that two other security agents had been wounded.<doc-sep>Pakistan attack: Gunmen storm five-star hotel in Balochistan Published 12 May 2019 image copyright AFP image caption The Pearl Continental Hotel is popular among foreign visitors Three gunmen who stormed a five-star hotel in the restive Pakistani province of Balochistan, killing at least one guard, have been shot dead by security forces, officials say. The attack and subsequent siege, which targeted the Zaver Pearl-Continental Hotel in the strategic port city of Gwadar, lasted several hours. A hotel spokesman said there were no guests and few staff due to Ramadan. The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army said it carried out the attack. The group said that the hotel, the centrepiece of a multi-billion-dollar Chinese project, was selected in order to target Chinese and other investors. Militants in Balochistan oppose Chinese investment, saying it is of little benefit to local people. What do we know about the attack? The gunmen stormed the hotel, usually popular with top government officials and foreign visitors, at around 16:50 local time (11:50 GMT), killing at least one security guard who tried to stop them at the entrance. Security forces entered the hotel and took part in a gun battle with the militants, before cornering them in a staircase leading to the top floor, officials said. Due to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the hotel had no guests and a very limited number of staff, a Zaver Pearl-Continental spokesperson told the BBC. However, earlier reports suggested that hotel guests had been evacuated safely. media caption Fishermen say they are no longer allowed to fish near the port The hotel sits on a hilltop overlooking the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea, which is being developed by China as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a network of roads, railway and pipelines between the two countries. On Twitter, the Chinese embassy in Pakistan condemned the attack, which comes just weeks after gunmen killed 14 people, including 11 military personnel, in the region. A worrying breach of security Gwadar is a city with a heavy military presence. It is viewed by both Chinese and Pakistani officials as the lynchpin of the CPEC, aiming to connect western China with the Arabian Sea. When I visited the port city in late 2017 with other international journalists, we travelled in convoys guarded by armed escorts, and stayed in the same hotel that was targeted. This attack will therefore be seen as a worrying breach of security, and it is not the first time Chinese interests have been targeted by this militant group. Last year the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) carried out an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi. After that attack, both Pakistani and Chinese officials stressed that violence would not derail their close co-operation. But militant activity in Balochistan remains one of the major concerns about the viability of the CPEC project. What is the situation in Balochistan? Home to a long-running insurgency, Balochistan is Pakistan's poorest and least developed province. It shares a large, porous border with Afghanistan and Iran. Its economy is dominated by natural resources, particularly natural gas, and is being transformed by major Chinese infrastructure projects on the CPEC, part of the ambitious Belt and Road initiative. Several militant groups operate in the region, including the Pakistani Taliban, the BLA and the Sunni Muslim extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.<doc-sep>At least three gunmen on Saturday stormed a five-star hotel in Pakistan, with the attack still ongoing, officials say. Local media reported that militants carrying firearms attacked the luxury Pearl Continental in Gwadar in Pakistan's Balochistan province. INDONESIAN AUTHORITIES ARREST SUSPECTED MEMBERS OF ISIS-AFFILIATED GROUP, THWART PLANNED TERRORIST ATTACK: REPORT Pakistani officials told Reuters that most guests had been evacuated from the building, but attackers had reached the first floor and were fighting security forces. Additional forces were deployed, including helicopters. It remains unclear exactly whether any people were injured, but Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langu claimed there were some casualties. He told AFP that the “majority” of the guests were successfully evacuated, but “there are reports of a few people sustaining minor injuries.” MORE EVIDENCE EMERGES OF IRAN-AL QAEDA TIES Mohammad Aslam, the on-duty officer in Gwadar, told the outlet that he heard the gunfire but believes the operation will soon end. “There were no Chinese or Pakistani guests in the hotel”, he said, noting that only hotel staff were present in the building. The province, the country’s poorest, has long been known to be at risk due to activities by militants, which include the Pakistani Taliban and other terrorist groups, according to the BBC. The hotel has been frequently visited by wealthy foreign tourists and business people. GET THE FOX NEWS APP No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.<doc-sep>
(CNN) — Five people including a soldier were killed after gunmen stormed a five-star luxury hotel in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, the military said Sunday. The attack on Pearl Continental in the strategic port city of Gwadar left four hotel employees and a Pakistan Navy soldier dead on Saturday. Six others were injured, including two army captains, two navy soldiers and two hotel employees. The military said that all three attackers, who planned to take hotel guests hostage, had been killed. According to a statement from the media wing of Pakistan’s Armed Forces, the gunmen forced their way into the hotel’s main hall, killing a security guard and firing indiscriminately as they attempted to reach the upper floors of the building. Bloomberg via Getty Images Fishing boats moored at Gwadar Port in Pakistan. Military forces were able to reach the hotel, secure guests and restrict the attackers to the fourth floor, before killing them. A Pakistani separatist group claimed responsibility, warning of more attacks in China and Pakistan in a post on an unverified Twitter account. CNN could not independently confirm whether the account, which claims to belong to the Baolchistan Liberation Army, is authentic. Gwadar is at the center of China’s multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road infrastructure project. Its port on the Arabian Sea is a major link in the initiative, and has transformed the once-small fishing village overlooking it into a heavily fortified town touted as “the next Dubai.” The hotel, on a hillside near the port, is frequented by foreign guests, diplomats and business delegations. The Chinese embassy in Islamabad condemned the attack and hailed the “heroic action of Pakistani army and law enforcement agencies” in a post on Twitter. Security forces in Pakistan have been on alert for attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began in early May. Pakistan’s security has improved since a deadly assault on a school in 2014, but Baolchistan remains a flashpoint. At least 14 people were killed in an attack on two buses last month near the town of Omara, also in Balochistan; an alliance of Baloch separatists, Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), claimed responsibility for the killings. Sophia Saifi reported from Islamabad and Eliza Mackintosh wrote from London. CNN’s Tim Lister also contributed to this report.