Two policemen killed, one hurt in attack on polio team in Mohmand
Two policemen on duty with an anti-polio team were killed and one was injured when armed men opened fire in Mohmand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Police said one attacker was also injured and a search operation is under way.
- Two policemen were killed and one injured in Tamanzai area of Mohmand on Tuesday.
- One attacker was reportedly injured and a search operation is ongoing.
- Four polio workers were abducted in Tank district, according to The Express Tribune.
- A special campaign runs in 97 districts until November 8, according to NEOC.
Two policemen were killed and another was injured when unidentified armed men fired on a polio vaccination team in Mohmand district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, The Express Tribune reported.
The attack took place in the Tamanzai area under the jurisdiction of Pandiali Police Station, while the officers were deployed on duty for an anti-polio campaign. Daily Pakistan Urdu, citing Geo News, named the location as Dag Tamanzai.
The dead policemen were identified as Zahoor and Arabi, and the injured officer as Sabir. According to police, the injured officer was taken to hospital for immediate medical aid.
According to District Police Officer Mohmand Raza Muhammad Khan, one attacker was also injured in the incident and a search operation is continuing. Police have set up a blockade in the area to arrest the suspects.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the firing and paid tribute to the two policemen. He said, "The policemen deployed to protect polio workers are striving for our healthy future." He also called the incident unacceptable and said "the elements involved in the firing do not deserve any leniency."
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed concern over the killing of the two policemen and the abduction of four polio workers in Tank, calling both condemnable. Ramal Thamar Bilour, the governor's adviser on information, also expressed regret over both incidents.
The Express Tribune reported that four polio workers were abducted by unidentified armed men after being fired upon in the village of Jious in Sheikh Attar union council, Tank district. Two members of another team abducted in Azam Warsak area of Lower South Waziristan were later released. Sources said armed men linked to the proscribed TTP were allegedly involved in that kidnapping.
The National Emergency Operations Centre said a special anti-polio campaign began on November 2 in 97 selected districts and will continue until November 8. It also confirmed Pakistan's seventh polio case this year, a 13-month-old girl from Bara tehsil in Khyber district.
Why it matters
Attacks on polio teams and their police escorts threaten the vaccination drive meant to protect children across Pakistan, where a seventh polio case has been confirmed this year.
