Pakistan: Police officer killed in bomb attack on diplomatic convoy

Suspected militants set off an explosion targeting a convoy of foreign diplomats in Pakistan’s restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Sunday, 22 September killing a policeman and injuring three others.

The diplomats drawn from 11 countries were safe, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said.

The blast occurred in Jehanabad area of Swat district when the convoy of foreign diplomats was heading towards the mountainous Malam Jabba.

The convoy included diplomats from Russia, Vietnam, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Portugal.

The three injured policemen are in a critical condition, hospital authorities said.

“All the diplomats are completely safe. The improvised explosive device targeted the convoy of police that was on security duty,” the police official said.

The Pakistan Foreign Ministry in a statement said the group of diplomats has returned safely to Islamabad and expressed sympathies with the family of the deceased policeman.

The Foreign Ministry said an advance scout police vehicle was hit by the IED which resulted in the policeman’s death.

“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," the ministry said.

The diplomats and their families were going to Malam Jabba, a hill station, for a night stay. Under tight security, they were escorted back to Islamabad. The diplomats were on an official visit to the Swat district arranged by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in collaboration with the Swat Chamber of Commerce.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the blast and said, “We salute our brave police force for their matchless sacrifices in the war against terror. Their sacrifices would not go waste.”

The Swat district remained a hotbed of Taliban militancy during the period of insurgency in 2009.

The militants were flushed out after a massive military operation in the district and a majority of the militants fled to the neighbouring Afghanistan.

An exodus of local people had taken place to other parts of the country during the insurgency, however, after a five-month operation, the people returned to their native areas in Swat district.