An improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a police vehicle escorting a group of 24 diplomats and their families during an official visit to Swat in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The attack claimed the life of one police officer and injured three others. The diplomats, who were unharmed in the blast, were on a visit arranged by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in collaboration with the Swat Chamber of Commerce.
Among the diplomats present were high-ranking officials from countries including Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal, Tajikistan, Zimbabwe, Turkmenistan, Iran, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, and Russia. Notably, Russian Ambassador Albert Khorev, who was part of the group, was reported safe but visibly shaken by the explosion.
Deputy Inspector General of Malakand Division, Muhammad Ali Gandapur, confirmed that the explosion was caused by a remote-controlled IED. “The attack targeted the police; no foreigners were hurt,” he said.
Diplomatic security arrangements have come under scrutiny following the attack, with senior officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pointing to a potential lapse in protocol. According to these officials, the ICCI directly coordinated with Malakand Police, bypassing the senior provincial authorities in Peshawar responsible for overseeing diplomatic engagements. Despite these concerns, the foreign office had provided the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the mission.
IED Attack on Diplomatic Convoy
The diplomats had arrived in Swat on September 22, as part of a two-day schedule that included visits to local cultural sites, lunch at the White Palace, and a stay at Pearl Continental Malam Jaba Ski Resort. Swat police had deployed 36 officers to ensure the delegation’s security, with police teams and bomb disposal units sweeping the routes. However, despite these measures, the IED attack occurred.
Diplomatic sources revealed that Turkey and Spain had declined to participate in the visit, citing security concerns. While no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, Swat and the Malakand division have seen an increase in violent assaults, primarily targeting law enforcement. Most attacks in the region have been attributed to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a terrorist group that has been active in the area since the breakdown of peace talks, leading to widespread unrest.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa occupied government had recently lifted the NOC requirement for foreign tourists in January 2024, but the region remains a hotspot for the Pakistan Army’s inbred terrorists, now turned rogue, with TTP terror attacks defying all security protocols.
This attack showcases how inefficient the Punjabi Pak Army is in its inability to curtail terrorists attacks, while it uses all its might to suppress innocent Pashtuns by abducting and extrajudicially killing them.