Foreign diplomats’ convoy in Pakistan attacked, resulting in the death of a police officer

A roadside bomb hit a convoy of foreign diplomats in northwest Pakistan, killing one police officer in their security detail. The diplomats were visiting the Swat valley area on the invitation of the local chamber of commerce when their police escort was targeted by an improvised explosive device. Ambassadors from multiple countries were in the convoy, all of whom were safe. The diplomats were immediately rescued and moved to Islamabad. Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed that all members of the diplomatic corps were returned safely. President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack, calling terrorist elements enemies of humanity. No one claimed responsibility for the attack. In response, police and the Pakistani army closed roads and imposed a curfew in the area while conducting a search operation. The Swat valley has been a hotbed of Islamist militant insurgency, with militants increasing their attacks since late 2022 after breaking a cease-fire with the government. In 2012, Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was shot and seriously wounded by Islamist militants in the same area. Pakistan’s counterterrorist forces maintain a strong presence in the Swat valley to address such security threats.

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