Tajikistan's mountainous terrain is a draw for cyclists.
Keystone
A Swiss man, part of a cycling group, was one of four people killed when a car ploughed into them in Tajikistan at the weekend, the Swiss foreign affairs ministry has confirmed. A Swiss woman was injured by assailants armed with knives and guns.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the group’s AMAQ news agency said on Monday.
The attackers “were soldiers of the Islamic State and carried out the attack in response to calls to target the citizens of the coalition countries”, a statement by the group said.
However, the group did not provide further detail or evidence for its claim, and on Tuesday the Tajik interior ministry rather attributed the attack to another group, the “Islamic Renaissance” party.
They based this on the confession of one of the arrested attackers, who said that the operation was carried out on the orders of one Nossirkhoudjy Abaïdov, a member of the party that was outlawed following a crackdown by secular state authorities that began in 2015.
The attack in the mainly Islamic central Asian country took place on Sunday in the Danghara district, 90 kilometres southeast of Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe, on the Pamir Highway, which is popular with cyclists. Police initially thought the incident was a road traffic accident but soon realised the seven-strong cycling party had been the victim of a violent crime.
Four people were killed and three wounded. The deceased are from Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United States. Three others, from Switzerland, the Netherlands and France, were injured but are in a stable condition.
The Swiss authorities say they are in contact with the injured Swiss woman, her relatives and the local authorities.
“If it is established that this was a terrorist attack, it will be noted in future travel advice for Tajikistan,” the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.
Police added that one suspect was arrested on Sunday and another two were killed while resisting arrest. Three other suspects are still at large.
Related Stories
Popular Stories
More
How ‘nearshoring’ is driving Swiss companies to move to Mexico
Swiss study examines why women and men choose different professions
This content was published on
According to a new study, the fact that there are still prevalently female and male professions is down to the nature of the job.
Swiss president unveils new theme park dedicated to Saint Bernards
This content was published on
The new Barryland theme park in Martigny, south-western Switzerland, was officially opened on Thursday in the presence of Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter.
Swiss court rejects diplomats’ daughter’s request for permanent residence
This content was published on
The 17-year-old daughter of a diplomatic couple working in Switzerland is not entitled to a residence permit, the Federal Administrative Court has ruled.
Swiss hospitals urge faster recognition of foreign medical qualifications
This content was published on
Foreign doctors wishing to work in a Swiss hospital have to wait several months for their diplomas to be recognised, a situation the hospital association H+ calls 'untenable'.
Switzerland to introduce code of conduct for collecting referendum signatures
This content was published on
Commercial collectors of signatures for initiatives and referendums could be given a legally non-binding code of conduct. This proposal comes from the Federal Chancellery following the discovery of thousands of falsified signatures.
Priest in Switzerland accused of sexually assaulting minors
This content was published on
The trial of a priest accused of sexually abusing nine people opened on Thursday in the Ticino cantonal criminal court in Lugano, southern Switzerland.
Two out of three people in Switzerland use more than one language daily
This content was published on
Two out of three people in Switzerland regularly use several languages in their everyday lives, most often the country's national languages.
Destroyed Swiss village of Blatten to be rebuilt within four years
This content was published on
After the devastating landslide, Blatten in Valais should be standing again by 2029. Municipal president Matthias Bellwald confirmed the corresponding plans to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Wednesday, which he had presented at a municipal meeting the previous evening.
Lufthansa mulls importing its future Boeing aircraft via Switzerland
This content was published on
Buying new Boeing aircraft from the United States via Switzerland could reduce the US trade deficit with Switzerland and avoid punitive customs duties, says a newspaper report.
Swiss environment minister ‘hopeful’ plastic pollution treaty within reach
This content was published on
Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rösti said he's "hopeful until the end" that an ambitious agreement against plastic pollution can be negotiated by the end of the year.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss among tourists trapped by earthquake near Indonesian volcano
This content was published on
On Sunday, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck near to the base of Mount Rinjani, an active volcano on the Indonesian island of Lombok. It triggered landslides that cut off escape routes for hundreds of people in the surrounding national park. The Indonesian news portal ‘kabar24’ lists 13 Swiss as being trapped on the volcano that…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.