One police constable martyred, three injured in blast while escorting foreign diplomats in Swat: police
SWAT/ISLAMABAD, Sep 22 (SABAH): A policeman was martyred while three were injured on Sunday when their vehicle, part of a convoy escorting dignitaries from 12 countries, was caught in an explosion on Malam Jabba Road in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district, police said.
Swat Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Muhammad Ali Khan told a private TV channel that delegations from Indonesia, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Iran, Russia, and Tajikistan were a part of the convoy.
“As a result of the blast, Constable Burhan has embraced martyrdom, while three other policemen, including Sub-Inspector Sar Zameen, Constable Amanullah, and Constable Habib Gul, have sustained injuries,” Muhammad Ali Khan said.
He added that a heavy contingent of police had reached the incident site and relief work was underway, adding that the affected area had been cordoned off, while the police had started a search operation to look for suspects.
“All the ambassadors remained safe in the attack and had been shifted to a safe place before their departure to Islamabad,” the DIG told a foreign news agency.
The wounded officers were transported to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Saidu Sharif.
The diplomats were visiting the area at the invitation of a local chamber of commerce. No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Islamabad took to the X platform and announced that the vehicle leading the diplomats’ convoy “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.
“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.”
Meanwhile President Asif Ali Zardari has condemned the blast near a police van in Swat. In a statement on Sunday, President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the martyred police officer and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
The President said terrorist elements are enemies not only of the country and the nation but also of humanity. He expressed the resolve to continue efforts for complete elimination of terrorism from the country. The President also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the explosion.
Meanwhile Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the attack on the convoy and expressed regret and sorrow while calling out the PTI-led provincial government for not being able to curb terrorism.
“The provincial government is not sincere in establishing peace and their behavior is encouraging terrorists,” he said. “The attack on the police in Swat is a conspiracy of forces hostile to Islam and Pakistan.”