Khyber: A polio vaccination team was attacked by unidentified gunmen in the Bakarabad area of Khyber district, resulting in the martyrdom of a police officer.
According to police officials, the assailants opened fire on the security personnel escorting the polio team. Fortunately, the vaccination workers remained unharmed in the attack.
This incident comes as Pakistan continues its nationwide polio eradication campaign.
In a previous report published by Human Online, increasing polio cases in the country were attributed to the targeted killings of polio workers and security threats, which have hindered vaccine access in remote areas.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating polio from Pakistan. He emphasized that efforts are also being coordinated with neighboring Afghanistan to address the issue.
Meanwhile, in Sindh, the first polio eradication campaign of the year has commenced. According to a spokesperson from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the campaign aims to vaccinate over 10.6 million children across the province.
The seven-day immunization drive, running until February 9, is being carried out in all 30 districts of Sindh. More than 81,000 volunteers are actively participating in the initiative to ensure maximum coverage.
Pakistan remains one of the few countries where polio is still endemic, and attacks on health workers continue to pose a significant challenge to the nationwide eradication effort.
