A roadside blast caused by an improvised explosive device killed a Pakistani police officer and wounded three others Sunday as the officers were escorting a convoy of foreign diplomats, an official said.

The diplomats were traveling to a tourist area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. The area is a base for militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban.

The convoy was passing through the tourist spot and hill station of Malam Jabba in Swat District when it was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED).

"One policeman succumbed to his wounds while three others were wounded," Swat District police officer Zahidullah Khan said.

"Diplomats were travelling within a police convoy, and the lead police vehicle was impacted," he said, adding that no diplomats were hurt.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Convoy included diplomats from 12 countries

The diplomats in the convoy were from Indonesia, Ethiopia, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Iran, Russia and Tajikistan. All of them returned safely to Islamabad.

The diplomats were there to attend a summit organized by the local chamber of commerce and industry to promote tourism, handicrafts and gems.

A statement from the Foreign Ministry said an advance scout police vehicle was hit by an IED. "Our sympathies are with the families of the policeman. We honor our law enforcement authorities that remain steadfast in the face of terrorists," said the ministry.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and paid tribute to the policeman.

Surge in attacks in Pakistan

The Swat Valley has long been a hotbed of Islamist militant insurgency. Militants there have stepped up their attacks since late 2022, after breaking a ceasefire with the government.

As many as 930 people, mostly security personnel, have been killed in terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2023, while about 2,000 were wounded, according to the Interior Ministry.

In August, at least 84 people were killed when militants launched nearly two days of attacks, according to a report by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies. 

dh/kb (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)