Five Japanese nationals escaped a suicide attack on their vehicle in Pakistan’s financial capital Karachi on Friday as police shot down a gunman accompanying the bomber, officials said.
Pakistan is battling a surge in militant violence on its territory, including frequent attacks on Chinese migrant workers.
Read more: Japanese and Chinese experts hold talks on Fukushima wastewater discharge
“It was a targeted attack, five Japanese officials were on their way to the export processing zone as per their routine,” Abrar Hussain, a Karachi police spokesperson, told AFP.
“The suicide bomber died detonating the bomb, while the second one was killed in crossfire.”
Japan’s top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said “one Japanese national was confirmed injured”.
Japan has “issued an alert to Japanese nationals living in Pakistan in response to the incident,” he added.
Police said a security guard and two passersby were also wounded.
Pakistan ramped up security for Chinese engineers working on Beijing-linked projects in March after five workers were killed in a suicide attack.
That attack came days after security forces killed at least seven militants as they attempted to storm the offices of Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan, considered a cornerstone of Chinese investment.
In recent years, Beijing has poured billions of dollars into projects in Pakistan. But these have sparked resentment in Balochistan province — where Gwadar is located — and Chinese citizens have frequently come under attack.