Story highlights Deaths underscore the risks of China's growing international influence

State newspaper: Guarding Chinese nationals overseas a new challenge

(CNN) China has expressed "grave concern" over reports that ISIS has killed two Chinese teachers kidnapped in Pakistan.

The man and woman, said by Chinese media to be a couple, were kidnapped by armed men on May 24 from the city of Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's Balochistan province, on May 24 on their way to teach a Chinese language class, a senior security officer told CNN last month.

Amaq, a news agency affiliated with ISIS, said Thursday that Islamic State fighters had killed two Chinese teachers who were being held in the Mastung, Balochistan. The group also released a video, which showed two bodies shot and bleeding on some grassy ground.

"China resolutely opposes all forms of kidnapping of civilians and opposes all forms of terrorism and extreme acts of violence," said Hua Chunying, the spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Friday.

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was "working to confirm authenticity of the reports of killing of two Chinese nationals, kidnapped in Quetta."

Read More</s>Islamic State says it killed two Chinese teachers kidnapped in Pakistan

Islamic State has killed two Chinese teachers it kidnapped in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province last month, the militant group's Amaq news agency said on Thursday, in a blow to Islamabad's efforts to safeguard Chinese workers, Reuters reported.

China's Foreign Ministry said it was "gravely concerned" about the report and working to verify the information.

Armed men pretending to be policemen kidnapped the two language teachers in the provincial capital, Quetta, on May 24. The kidnapping was a rare security incident involving Chinese nationals in Pakistan, where Beijing has pledged $57 billion for its "Belt and Road" plan.

"Islamic State fighters killed two Chinese people they had been holding in Baluchistan province, southwest Pakistan," Amaq said.

A Baluchistan government spokesman said officials were in the process of confirming "whether the report is true".

China's Foreign Ministry said it noted the report and expressed "grave concern".

"We have been trying to rescue the two kidnapped hostages over the past days," the ministry said in a short statement.

"The Chinese side is working to learn about and verify relevant information through various channels, including working with Pakistani authorities," it said.

"The Chinese side is firmly opposed to the acts of kidnapping civilians in any form, as well as terrorism and extreme violence in any form."

There was no immediate comment from Pakistan's interior ministry or its foreign office.

Islamic State, which controls some territory in neighboring Afghanistan, has struggled to establish a presence in Pakistan. But it has claimed several major attacks, including one on the deputy chairman of the Senate last month in Baluchistan, in which 25 people were killed.

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan's military published details of a three-day raid on a militant hideout in a cave not far from Quetta, saying it had killed 12 "hardcore terrorists" from a banned local Islamist group and prevented Islamic State from gaining a "foothold" in Baluchistan.

China's ambassador to Pakistan and other officials have often urged Islamabad to improve security, especially in Baluchistan, where China is building a new port and funding roads to link its western regions with the Arabian Sea.

The numbers of Pakistanis studying Mandarin has skyrocketed since 2014, when President Xi Jinping signed off on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, pledging to invest $57 billion in Pakistani road, rail and power infrastructure.

Security in Baluchistan has improved in recent years.

However, separatists, who view the project as a ruse to steal natural resources, killed 10 Pakistani workers building a road near the new port of Gwadar this month, a key part of the economic corridor.

China has also expressed concern about militants in Pakistan linking up with what China views as separatists in the far western Chinese region of Xinjiang, where hundreds have been killed in violence in recent years.</s>Cairo: Islamic State has killed two Chinese teachers it kidnapped in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province last month, the militant group's Amaq news agency said on Thursday, in a blow to Islamabad's efforts to safeguard Chinese workers.

China's Foreign Ministry said it was "gravely concerned" about the report and working to verify the information.

Armed men pretending to be policemen kidnapped the two language teachers in the provincial capital, Quetta, on May 24. The kidnapping was a rare security incident involving Chinese nationals in Pakistan, where Beijing has pledged $57 billion for its "Belt and Road" plan.

"Islamic State fighters killed two Chinese people they had been holding in Baluchistan province, south-west Pakistan," Amaq said.

A Baluchistan government spokesman said officials were in the process of confirming "whether the report is true".

China's Foreign Ministry said it noted the report and expressed "grave concern".

"We have been trying to rescue the two kidnapped hostages over the past days," the ministry said in a short statement.

"The Chinese side is working to learn about and verify relevant information through various channels, including working with Pakistani authorities," it added.

"The Chinese side is firmly opposed to the acts of kidnapping civilians in any form, as well as terrorism and extreme violence in any form."

There was no immediate comment from Pakistan's interior ministry or its foreign office.

Islamic State, which controls some territory in neighbouring Afghanistan, has struggled to establish a presence in Pakistan. But it has claimed several major attacks, including one on the deputy chairman of the Senate last month in Baluchistan, in which 25 people were killed.

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan's military published details of a three-day raid on a militant hideout in a cave not far from Quetta, saying it had killed 12 "hardcore terrorists" from a banned local Islamist group and prevented Islamic State from gaining a "foothold" in Baluchistan.

China's ambassador to Pakistan and other officials have often urged Islamabad to improve security, especially in Baluchistan, where China is building a new port and funding roads to link its western regions with the Arabian Sea.</s>New Delhi: The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has killed two Chinese nationals it kidnapped from Quetta city of southwest Pakistan last month, the militant group’s Amaq agency said on Thursday.

Armed men pretending to be policemen kidnapped the Chinese language teachers – a man and a woman – from the upmarket Jinnah Town area of Quetta on May 24.

The SITE Intelligence Group said that the ISIS, through its Amaq news agency, has claimed that its fighters in Pakistan have killed two Chinese nationals held in Mastung.

"Islamic State fighters kill two Chinese people they had been holding in Balochistan province, southwest Pakistan," Amaq said.

The Chinese nationals were being held in Mastung district, the same area where the Pakistan Army conducted an operation against the ISIS during June 1-3.

The development comes days after Pakistani forces said that they have killed a number of key commanders of the Islamic State group in an operation carried out in the mountainous Mastung district after intelligence reports said the group was holding the Chinese nationals kidnapped on May 24 from Jinnah Town of the provincial capital Quetta.

Jinnah Town is one of the affluent residential areas where Chinese NGOs teach Mandarin.

The Chinese presence in Pakistan has increased in the past few years due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Pakistani government has deployed 15,000 military personnel to protect projects under the economic corridor.</s>CAIRO/QUETTA, Pakistan: Islamic State has killed two Chinese teachers it kidnapped in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province last month, the militant group's Amaq news agency said on Thursday, in a blow to Islamabad's efforts to safeguard Chinese workers.

Armed men pretending to be policemen kidnapped the two language teachers in the provincial capital, Quetta, on May 24. The kidnapping was a rare security incident involving Chinese nationals in Pakistan, where Beijing has pledged US$57 billion for its "Belt and Road" plan.

"Islamic State fighters killed two Chinese people they had been holding in Baluchistan province, southwest Pakistan," Amaq said.

A Baluchistan government spokesman said officials were in the process of confirming "whether the report is true".

China's embassy in Pakistan could not be reached and there was no immediate comment from Pakistan's interior ministry or its foreign office.

Islamic State, which controls some territory in neighbouring Afghanistan, has struggled to establish a presence in Pakistan. But it has claimed several major attacks, including one on the deputy chairman of the Senate last month in Baluchistan, in which 25 people were killed.

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan's military published details of a three-day raid on an militant hideout in a cave not far from Quetta, saying it had killed 12 "hardcore terrorists" from a banned local Islamist group and prevented Islamic State from gaining a "foothold" in Baluchistan.

China's ambassador to Pakistan and other officials have often urged Islamabad to improve security, especially in Baluchistan, where China is building a new port and funding roads to link its western regions with the Arabian Sea.</s>CAIRO/QUETTA, Pakistan: Islamic State has killed two Chinese teachers it kidnapped in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province last month, the militant group's Amaq news agency said on Thursday, in a blow to Islamabad's efforts to safeguard Chinese workers. Armed men pretending to be policemen kidnapped the two language teachers in the provincial capital, Quetta, on May 24. The kidnapping was a rare security incident involving Chinese nationals in Pakistan, where Beijing has pledged US$57 billion for its "Belt and Road" plan.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Channelnewsasia.com.</s>The Islamic State has killed two Chinese citizens it kidnapped from Quetta city of southwest Pakistan last month, the militant group’s Amaq agency said on Thursday.

 

 Armed men pretending to be policemen kidnapped the Chinese language teachers – a man and a woman – from the upmarket Jinnah Town area of Quetta on May 24.

 

 “Islamic State fighters kill two Chinese people they had been holding in Balochistan province, southwest Pakistan,” Amaq said. The Chinese nationals were being held in Mastung district, the same area where the Pakistan Army conducted an operation against the IS during June 1-3.

A third Chinese national managed to evade the kidnappers while a passerby was shot in the foot when he tried to intervene.

In an effort to trace the kidnapped Chinese nationals, the Pakistan Army conducted an operation in Mastung area against the IS and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al-Almi, a banned terror group that has close links with the IS.

The Pakistan Army said on Thursday it had dismantled IS infrastructure in Balochistan and killed 12 terrorists, including two suicide bombers, during the operation conducted on actionable intelligence.

“The successful operation by security forces in Mastung denied establishment of any direct or indirect ISIS organised infrastructure in Balochistan (province of) Pakistan, also foiled terrorist incidents in Pakistan,” an army statement said.

China condemned the kidnapping, saying it “attaches high importance to the safety of Chinese citizens overseas” and the state-run media had said the abduction “highlights risks” associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

A large number of Chinese nationals, most of them associated with projects that are part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, are based in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan, including Gwadar port.

In November last year, two Chinese engineers were killed by unidentified assailants in Pasni district of Balochistan. Two more Chinese engineers were killed in a roadside blast in Hub district last September.</s>China and Pakistan said they are investigating the Islamic State group’s claim that two Chinese teachers kidnapped in Pakistan have been killed. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told the official Xinhua News Agency Friday that the government was seeking information from Pakistani authorities. In Islamabad, two Pakistani security officials said they were investigating but that no bodies have been found.

The IS claim came hours after Pakistan’s military released the pictures of what it said were 12 slain members of the militant group. They were killed in this week’s operation in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, where the military said it foiled an attempt to set up an organised IS militant base.

“We have taken note of relevant reports and we express our grave concern. We have been trying to rescue the two kidnapped hostages over the past days,” Hua was quoted as saying. The two teachers at a private language school were kidnapped May 24 by gunmen dressed as police who stopped their car in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan. A bystander who attempted to intervene was shot and wounded while rescuing a third person.

A statement late Thursday from the IS news agency said the two Chinese teachers had been killed. Thousands of Chinese work in Pakistan and have sometimes been targeted by militants. China is a longtime ally of Pakistan and is building roads and power plants under multibillion-dollar project termed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Islamic militants opposed to Chinese rule in the northwestern region of Xinjiang are also believed to be sheltering in Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas, from which they have threatened to launch attacks.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App</s>BEIJING (AP) — China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday it was investigating the Islamic State group’s claim that two Chinese teachers kidnapped in Pakistan have been killed.

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told the official Xinhua News Agency that the government was seeking information from Pakistani authorities.

“We have taken note of relevant reports and we express our grave concern. We have been trying to rescue the two kidnapped hostages over the past days,” Hua was quoted as saying.

The two language school teachers were kidnapped May 24 by gunmen dressed as police who stopped their car in Quetta. A bystander who attempted to intervene was shot and wounded while rescuing a third person.

A statement late Thursday from the Islamic State group’s news agency said the two Chinese teachers had been killed.

Thousands of Chinese work in Pakistan and have sometimes been targeted by militants. China is a longtime ally of Pakistan and is building roads and power plants under multibillion-dollar project termed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Islamic militants opposed to Chinese rule in the northwestern region of Xinjiang are also believed to be sheltering in Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas, from which they have threatened to launch attacks.</s>CAIRO/QUETTA, Pakistan - Islamic State has killed two Chinese teachers it kidnapped in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province last month, the militant group's Amaq news agency said on Thursday, in a blow to Islamabad's efforts to safeguard Chinese workers.

Start the conversation, or Read more at UnionLeader.com.
Chinese authorities report "grave concern" over reports that two kidnapped Chinese teachers in Quetta, Pakistan, were killed by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.