Two policemen were martyred and one was injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on security personnel assigned to protect a polio vaccination campaign in Mohmand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The attack occurred in the Dag Tamanzai area as the officers were on their way to provide security for the ongoing anti-polio drive.
Police confirmed that the targeted team was heading to support the vaccination effort when the assailants opened fire. A search operation has been launched in the area to track down and arrest those responsible for the deadly assault. Such attacks on polio teams remain a recurring challenge in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where hostile elements frequently try to disrupt immunization campaigns.
This latest incident comes during a major subnational polio vaccination campaign that began on November 2 and will continue until November 8. The drive aims to reach around 24 million children across 97 districts under the supervision of the National Emergency Operations Centre. Health authorities continue to stress the importance of these efforts despite the risks faced by both vaccinators and their security escorts.
Polio remains a highly contagious disease with no cure. It can cause lifelong paralysis and, in severe cases, death. The disease is preventable through safe and effective vaccines that have been successfully used in 195 countries, including all Muslim-majority nations. Pakistan has reported eight cases of wild poliovirus type 1 so far this year, with six of them recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two in Sindh.
Similar violence has struck before. In September, two policemen guarding a polio team were martyred in a firing incident in Nushki district of Balochistan. Security forces and health workers continue to operate under difficult conditions to protect children from a preventable illness. The bravery of the officers who lost their lives while safeguarding the vaccination campaign has been widely acknowledged, and authorities have vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Community support and continued participation in the immunization drive remain essential to protect the next generation from polio.
