The Pakistani Taliban has denied any involvement in a bomb attack on a police convoy escorting foreign ambassadors in the restive northwest region of Pakistan. The incident occurred on Sunday in Malam Jabba, a popular ski resort in the Swat Valley, a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban.
The convoy, which included ambassadors and senior envoys from various countries traveling with their families, was targeted by an improvised explosive device (IED) that hit a police vehicle accompanying the convoy. While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has denied detonating the IED.
The attack resulted in the death of one police officer and injuries to four others. Fortunately, all the foreign envoys remained unharmed. However, the incident has raised serious concerns about security breaches, especially considering that the convoy’s route was known only to police and had reportedly been cleared by bomb disposal units.
Defense analyst Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, believes an insider may have leaked the convoy’s travel plans to the militants. He suggests that the attack could indicate a shift in the insurgents’ tactics, who previously focused on targeting security forces.
Syed Muhammad Ali, another Pakistani defense analyst, emphasizes the need for improved coordination between federal authorities and police regarding high-profile visits to the northwest region, which has experienced a surge in violence.
The ambassadors and officials from Indonesia, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Iran, Russia, and Tajikistan, who were traveling in the convoy, have all returned to Islamabad, the capital, according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
TTP, which has a close alliance with the Afghan Taliban, has found sanctuary in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. This has strained relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban government, which claims not to allow anyone to use its soil for attacks against other countries.
Pakistani authorities are investigating the incident to determine whether there was a security breach, as details about the convoy’s travel plans were only circulated to officials. They are also working to identify those responsible for planting the IED.
This attack comes months after a suicide bomber killed five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver in Shangla, another district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The incident led to heightened security measures for foreigners and envoys traveling in the region.
The Pakistani Taliban’s denial of involvement adds to the complexity of the situation, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by Pakistan in tackling terrorism and maintaining security in the northwest region.
