Gunmen attack hotel in Pakistani port city of Gwadar

Gunmen attacked a hotel in Pakistan's southwestern
port city of Gwadar on Saturday and were battling security forces while
helicopters circled overhead, officials said.
One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity
because he was not authorised to talk to the media, told Reuters most guests
had been evacuated from the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel but attackers
appeared to have reached the first floor.
Gwadar, which lies on the Arabian Sea, is a
strategic port being developed as part of the $60 billion China Pakistan
Economic Corridor, which is part of China's mammoth Belt and Road
infrastructure project.
Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langove said
there appeared to be casualties but there were no immediate details.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Balochistan is rife with ethnic, sectarian and
separatist insurgencies, and several militant groups operate in the province,
including the Pakistani Taliban group or Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and
Balochistan Liberation Army.