Attack on foreign diplomats’ convoy in Pakistan: TTP denies involvement in blast

The Pakistani Taliban, also known as theTehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), on Monday (Sep23) denied involvement in bombing a police convoy that was escorting foreign diplomatsin the country’s restive northwest, the news agency Associated Press reported.

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The ambassadors and senior envoys were travelling on Sunday to the Swat Valley, a former stronghold of the TTP, when the attack occurred in Malam Jabba. A police officer was killed in the attack and four others were injured.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing so far.

'We have nothing to do with the attack'

A TTP spokespersondenied detonating the improvised explosive device that hit a police vehicle accompanying the convoy.In a separate statement, the TTP said it had nothing to do with the attack.

TTP is a separate group but also a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in August 2021 as USand NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary and have even been living openly in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, which also emboldened the Pakistani Taliban. The situation has strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government.

Which foreign diplomats were travelling in the convoy?

Those travelling in the convoy were ambassadors and officials from Indonesia, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Iran, Russia, and Tajikistan.

The envoys were all unharmed, but the attack suggested there was a security breach, analysts said.

The attack was strongly condemned by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PresidentAsif Ali Zardari, and other officials.

Authorities are still investigating to determine whether there was a security breach since details about the convoy’s travel plans had been circulated only to officials, the Associated Press reported.

(With inputs from agencies)