Diplomatic Convoy Targeted in Deadly Blast in Pakistan

An IED explosion targeted a convoy of foreign diplomats in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing a policeman and injuring three others. The diplomats were unharmed. The region has a history of Taliban militancy, and the recent attack underscores ongoing security challenges.

An explosion caused by an improvised explosive device, targeting a convoy of foreign diplomats, killed a policeman and injured three others in Pakistan's restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday. The blast, triggered remotely, struck the convoy traveling from Islamabad to the scenic Malam Jabba in Swat district. Authorities confirmed the safety of the diplomats.

The convoy included diplomats from various countries including Russia, Vietnam, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Portugal. "All the diplomats are completely safe. The improvised explosive device targeted the convoy of police that was on security duty," a senior police official stated. According to hospital authorities, the three injured policemen are in critical condition.

The Swat district, previously a hotbed of Taliban militancy in 2009, saw militants expelled following a significant military operation. Most militants fled to neighboring Afghanistan. An exodus of local residents occurred, but after a five-month operation, they returned to Swat.

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

(With inputs from agencies.)