All the diplomats, media team remained safe in IED blast; PM strongly condemns terrorist attack on police mobile near Mallam Jabba
A remote controlled bomb explosion targeting the convoy of foreign diplomats in the scenic valley of Swat Sunday left a Police officer martyred and three cops seriously wounded. However, the diplomats as well as the media team accompanying the foreign dignitaries remained unhurt as a Pilot car of the Police fell victim to the explosion carried out by unknown terrorists. No one claimed responsibility for the attack on the diplomatic caravan on Sunday till the filing of this report.
“At least one police officer was martyred, and three others were wounded in a ‘remote-controlled bomb explosion that hit a police van guarding a convoy of foreign envoys heading to MalamJabba from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district on Sunday”. Police authorities said adding the target was the caravan of the diplomats. The District Police Officer (DPO) confirmed the explosion, stating the attack targeted a group of foreign diplomat’s convoy on Malam Jabba Road resulting in one officer losing his life and three others being injured. The higher Police officials, however, told the media men that all envoys were safe after the explosion and had been shifted to Islamabad.
The diplomats, as the reports said, were heading to Malam Jabba, a famous skiing resort of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after attending an event at the Chamber of Commerce in Mingora when the explosion occurred in the suburban area of Sherabad.
The police confirmed that the foreign ambassadors in the convoy included representatives from Russia, Portugal, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, and other countries.
The wounded officers were transported to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) in Saidu Sharif. Heavy contingents of law enforcement agencies were deployed in the area following the incident.
“The diplomats were visiting the Swat valley area on the invitation of local chamber of commerce. The squad that was leading the convoy was hit by a roadside bomb. A Police officer embraced Shahadat while four police officers were wounded”. Swat district police officer Zahidullah Khan told a foreign news agency adding all the nearly a dozen diplomats remained unhurt and were heading back to Islamabad.
Deputy Inspector General of police Mohammad Ali Gandapur said every member of the diplomatic convoy remained safe in the attack and had been shifted to a safe place before their departure to Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a police mobile near Mallam Jabba, district Swat.
The prime minister prayed for the elevation of ranks of the martyred policeman in Jannah and offered his heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family members.
He also prayed for the swift recovery of those injured in the incident. The prime minister directed the relevant authorities to provide all possible medical assistance to the injured.
