China, Pakistan To Counter ISIS Together After 2 Chinese Nationals Killed In Balochistan By Terrorists

Two Chinese citizens, who were abducted by the Islamic State group (ISIS) from Quetta, Balochistan, in Pakistan at the end of May, have reportedly been executed.

After the news was conveyed to the Chinese government by Pakistan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement China and Pakistan would continue to work hand in hand when it comes to countering terrorism and uprooting ISIS, ABC News reported.

"According to the initial information from relevant departments of Pakistan, the two Chinese citizens kidnapped may have been unfortunately killed. We are highly concerned about that and will try our best to get more information on that through various approaches," Chunying said on Friday. According to NDTV, the ministry was working hard to verify the information it obtained regarding the executions.

Chunying further stated: "Pakistan always pays great attention to the protection of Chinese citizens and institutions there and has made great efforts in this regard. Since this abduction took place, China and Pakistan have been in close communication."

The city of Quetta is at the heart of the $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a collection of infrastructural projects that, Chunying said, would not be affected by the recent efforts by ISIS to strike terror in the minds of the Chinese.

Read: ISIS Kills Hundreds In Mosul, Iraq, According To UN

The Chinese citizens who were killed, were also a couple, and used to teach Mandarin in Quetta and were simultaneously studying the Urdu language. They were kidnapped on May 24, by people wearing police uniforms. A passerby who attempted to intervene was shot and wounded but he did manage to rescue a third person.

No other details regarding the victims have been made public.

A security official in Balochistan told the Guardian the Chinese couple might have held in Mastung after they were abducted. However, a three-day long thorough search of the area, including a network of caves did not prove fruitful in locating the abducted Chinese nationals. The military, however, were able to locate the vehicle used by ISIS to kidnap the Chinese nationals and kill 10-15 “hardcore terrorists” from the Lashkar-e Jhangvi group, the Guardian reported.

They were also able to destroy a set of arms and ammunitions obtained from the area and shut down a facility which made improvised explosive devices. Chunying praised the Pakistani officials for "sparing no effort to investigate the incident and search and rescue the hostages."

Read: Virginia Man Convicted Of Supporting ISIS Said He Was ‘Checking Things Out’ By Joining Terrorist Group

Some contradicting reports on the social media suggested that the couple had been rescued. However, the reports have been stated as false by a spokesman for Balochistan’s provincial government, Anwarul Haq Kakar.

The denial was following a 24-second video that was forwarded to the journalists working in Balochistan by an anonymous source. Even though Islamic State group is yet to claim responsibility for the video that shows the bloodied bodies of a Chinese man and woman, it is being speculated by Pakistani officials that ISIS might be behind it. The identities of the corpses are yet to be determined.

Many Chinese workers in Pakistan and have been targeted by militants in the past. Some of the Islamic militants who have taken shelter in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas are believed to be opposed to Chinese rule in the north western region of Xinjiang and have also threatened to launch violent attacks in the near future.