Police Officer Killed in Attack on Polio Team in Northwest Pakistan
Suspected militants opened fire on a police vehicle guarding polio vaccination workers in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing one officer and injuring four others, officials said.
The attack took place in Hangu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Afghan border, shortly after the country launched its second nationwide anti-polio campaign of the year. Police returned fire, killing two of the attackers at the scene.
No group has claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups, which have frequently targeted vaccination teams and their security escorts.
Pakistan remains one of only two countries where polio has not been eradicated, alongside Afghanistan, according to the World Health Organization.
First lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari urged families to vaccinate their children during the weeklong campaign, which aims to reach more than 45 mln children under five across the country. She said efforts are being coordinated with Afghanistan to prevent cross-border transmission.
«Pakistan stands at a crucial moment in the fight against polio,» she said, noting that while progress has been made — with only one case reported so far this year — the final stage of eradication remains the most difficult.
Health workers and their security teams have long faced threats from militants who falsely claim vaccination drives are part of foreign conspiracies. Authorities have deployed thousands of police officers to protect teams, but more than 200 workers and security personnel have been killed in such attacks since the 1990s.
The latest incident underscores the ongoing security challenges facing Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts despite significant recent gains.
