A dozen people arrested over deadly suicide bombing in Pakistan

Pakistani counter-terrorism police have arrested at least 12 people in connection with a suicide bombing that killed five Chinese workers and their Pakistani driver last week. The officials said some of the detained suspects transported an explosive-laden car to Shangla, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where a suicide bomber rammed it into another vehicle, killing the Chinese workers. The latest development came hours after the bodies of the five Chinese nationals were flown overnight from a military air base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi to Beijing, Pakistani officials and state media said. The slain Chinese were travelling to work at Pakistan's biggest hydropower project, Dasu Dam, when their vehicle came under attack. On Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also visiting Dasu Dam to meet with Chinese engineers and workers. Authorities say the Chinese bombing victims were heading to the project site amid tight security. In July 2021, at least 13 people - including nine Chinese nationals - were killed when a suicide bomber detonated explosives in his vehicle near a bus carrying Chinese and Pakistani engineers and labourers, prompting Chinese companies to temporarily suspend work.