A roadside bomb on Sunday hit a convoy of foreign diplomats visiting northwest Pakistan. One of their security guards was killed and four other police officers were injured. This is reported by "Reuters", quoting a statement from the police, news.bg reported.
The bomb went off while the convoy was on its way to a hill station and ski resort called Malam Jabba, police and government officials said.
All diplomats are safe and have returned to Islamabad, police said.
The diplomats visited the Swat Valley region at the invitation of the local Chamber of Commerce to present it as a potential tourist destination.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which has already been condemned by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Soldiers and police cordoned off the area after the bombing and launched a search operation, a senior security official told Reuters. A curfew has been imposed in the area.
"All the ambassadors remained safe in the attack and were moved to a safe place before they left for Islamabad," Deputy Inspector General of Police Mohammad Ali Gandapour told "Reuters".
The nationality of the diplomats is not clear.
A statement from Pakistan's foreign ministry said such actions would not stop Pakistan in its fight against terrorism.
Pakistani counter-terrorism forces maintain a strong presence in the Swat Valley, which has long been a hotbed of Islamist armed insurgency. The militants have stepped up their attacks since late 2022 after breaking a ceasefire with the government.
In 2012, Islamist militants wounded Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai in the valley.