A policeman was killed and three others were injured as a roadside bomb attacked the foreign diplomats’ convoy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat on Sunday.
The deceased police officer was identified as Burhan Khan. “All the diplomats remained safe in the attack,” Malakand Deputy Inspector General of police Mohammad Ali Gandapur said.
The attack occurred near Jehanabad. The convoy included diplomats from Bosnia, Russia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Portugal, according to the Malakand DIG.
The police mobile assigned to secure the convoy was caught in the blast when an explosive device detonated along the Malam Jabba Road.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the vehicle was part of a security detail for nearly a dozen foreign diplomats travelling in the district.
The Malakand DIG told the news agency that diplomats had been shifted to a safe place before their departure to Islamabad. A remote-controlled device triggered the explosion, he said and added that police have cordoned off the entire area.
Swat district police officer Zahidullah Khan said the diplomats were visiting the Swat valley area at the invitation of the local chamber of commerce.
“The squad that was leading the convoy was hit by a roadside bomb,” he said.
All the nearly dozen diplomats were safe and were heading back to Islamabad, police said.
The bomb exploded as the convoy was en route to a hill station and ski resort called Malam Jabba, police and government officials said.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack.
On July 30, a vehicle belonging to a United Nations came under fire in Dera Ismail Khan when it avoided a picket set up by unidentified armed men in the area. The UN vehicle was out collecting water samples when it was targeted. All the officials riding in the bulletproof vehicle remained safe, although the vehicle suffered minor damage from the firing.
In a statement, the Foreign Office confirmed that the diplomats safely reached Islamabad whilst condemning the IED attack.
It said that the convoy was travelling to the federal capital after their trip to Malam Jabba when an advance scout police vehicle was hit by an IED.
“All members of the diplomatic corps have returned safely to Islamabad,” the FO said and offered condolences to the bereaved families of the martyred policeman.
“We honour our law enforcement authorities that remain steadfast in the face of terrorists. Such acts will not deter Pakistan from its commitment towards the fight against terrorism,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Islamabad said that the convoy carrying the diplomats “hit a mine” in Mingora.
“On September 22, Ambassador Albert P. Khorev, along with several other Ambassadors, took part in the Swat Tourism Summit organised by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry,” the embassy said in a social media post on X.
“On the way to the hotel from the town of Mingora in Khyber Pakhtunkwa, an escort vehicle hit a mine. Several policemen were injured, diplomats were not harmed.”
President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the blast near police van in Swat, according to a statement. He paid tribute the martyred policemen and expressed sympathy for the bereaved family.
“Terrorist elements are enemies of both the nation and humanity,” he said.
The president reaffirmed his commitment to continue efforts against terrorism and prayed for the quick recovery of those injured in the attack.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the blast and honoured the martyred police constable.
The minister expressed heartfelt condolences to Khan’s family and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured officers.
In the recent past, Pakistan has seen a significant increase in attacks targeting security forces, law enforcement agencies, and checkpoints, particularly in KP and Balochistan. This surge in violence followed the breakdown of a ceasefire agreement with the banned TTP in 2022, which led the group to declare its intention to target security personnel.
Last month, a policeman was martyred and two injured after militants attacked the Banr Police Station in Swat. In response to the escalating violence against police, residents of Swat and Lower Dir protested on August 17, demanding the arrest of those responsible for the attacks.
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On August 21, the Swat Qaumi Jirga announced that the Malakand division, especially Swat, would not tolerate the presence of any terrorists in the region, signaling a strong community stance against ongoing violence.
Pakistani counter-terrorist forces maintain a strong presence in the Swat valley, which has long been a hotbed of militant insurgency. The militants have stepped up their attacks since late 2022 after breaking a ceasefire with the government.
In 2012, militants shot and wounded Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai in the valley.
(With input from Reuters)
