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.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope
Berset discusses ECHR climate ruling implementation at Davos
This content was published on
Switzerland has submitted a report on the court's ruling in Strasbourg. Berset told Justice Minister Beat Jans that the Council of Europe is reviewing it.
This content was published on
A 27-year-old ski tourer has died in the hospital in Sion, in southwestern Switzerland, after being caught in an avalanche on Saturday.
Swiss health minister criticises Trump’s ‘rash’ WHO exit
This content was published on
Switzerland has expressed “deep” regret over Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO, Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said in Davos.
This content was published on
Job vacancies in Switzerland fell by 10% in 2024, marking the first negative annual balance since the Covid-19 pandemic, says Adecco.
Swiss president meets Zelensky in Davos amid tensions with Europe
This content was published on
Swiss President met Zelensky at Davos. As Zelensky thanked Switzerland, Keller-Sutter said it's too early to discuss a new summit, awaiting Trump's actions.
Basel diocese files five claims of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church
This content was published on
The diocese of Basel has received 141 reports of sexual abuse since the publication of a sweeping study on violations in the Catholic Church by the University of Zurich in 2023.
Swiss president calls for open markets and stable institutions in WEF speech
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter was among speakers at the WEF in Davos to make the case for fair competition, a day after Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States.
Swiss film in competition at the 75th Berlinale has a shot at Golden Bear
This content was published on
The feature film La Cache by Lausanne screenwriter and director Lionel Baier has a chance of winning the Silver or Golden Bear at the 75th Berlinale, festival organisers said on Tuesday.
Swiss politician who shot at image of Jesus resigns from Liberal Green Party
This content was published on
Sanija Ameti, who caused controversy after shooting at an image of Jesus and Mary last September, has resigned from the Liberal Green Party.
Swiss campaigners gather enough signatures to submit ‘responsible business’ initiative
This content was published on
The Swiss people are set to vote again on the corporate responsibility of multinationals after campaigners collected 183,661 signatures in 14 days for their new 'responsible business' initiative.
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.