The attack and subsequent siege, which targeted the a top Hotel in the strategic port city of Gwadar, lasted several hours. The separatist Baluchistan Liberation Army claimed it carried out the attack

NEW DELHI: Chinese nationals were once again intended target in Baluchistan as Baloch Liberation Army on Sunday attacked a five-star hotel in Gwadar and killed five.

The attack and subsequent siege, which targeted the a top 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 Baluchistan Liberation Army claimed 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.

BLA oppose Chinese investment, saying it is of little benefit to local people. 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.

The $60bn CPEC project has seen massive investment in infrastructure across Pakistan, including major roads and the Gwadar port in Baluchistan province. 

Recent days have seen an increase in violence in the province, with BLA stepping attacks against security forces and civilians.

On Thursday, at least five people were killed when BLA gunmen attacked a coal mine in the Harnai district of Baluchistan.