Two policemen martyred in Mohmand after unidentified gunmen opened fire on officers deployed for an anti-polio campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said on Tuesday. A third policeman was injured. The shooting took place in the Dag Tamanzai area as the officers were heading to perform security duties for the vaccination drive.
Where the attack happened
Police said the attack on polio security in Mohmand occurred while the personnel were en route to their assigned posts rather than at a vaccination site itself. No further public detail was given on the number of attackers or the weapons used. Unidentified gunmen were blamed for the firing.
Police said a search operation has been launched in the area to arrest the culprits. Officials did not immediately name any group as responsible.
Polio drive under way across districts
The latest incident comes amid an ongoing subnational polio vaccination campaign that began on 2 November and is due to run until 8 November. According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) — the body coordinating Pakistan’s emergency polio response — the drive aims to reach around 24 million children in 97 districts.
Hostile elements often target polio teams in terrorism-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in an attempt to disrupt vaccination work. The Mohmand polio duty attack fits that pattern of violence against staff and escorts who support door-to-door campaigns.
Why the campaign matters
Polio is a highly contagious disease with no cure. It can cause lifelong paralysis and, in some cases, death. It can be prevented through vaccines that have been used safely in 195 countries, including Muslim-majority countries.
Pakistan has reported eight cases of wild poliovirus type 1 so far this year — six in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two in Sindh — which is why security for vaccinators remains a central part of each campaign round.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- September this year: Two policemen guarding a polio team were martyred when unidentified armed men opened fire in Nushki district of Balochistan.
- 2 November: The current subnational polio vaccination campaign began, scheduled to continue until 8 November and to cover about 24 million children in 97 districts.
- Tuesday: Two policemen martyred in Mohmand and one injured after gunmen fired on officers heading to polio security duty in Dag Tamanzai; police launched a search for the attackers.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Mohmand mein pata nahi chalne wale bandookwalon ne un police walon par firing ki jo polio team ki hifazat ke liye ja rahe the. Do police ahalkar shaheed hue aur ek zakhmi hai. Police ilaqe mein talaashi chala rahi hai. Bacchon ko polio ke qatron se bachana zaroori hai, is liye aise hamle se drive mushkil ho jati hai.
