Terrorists on Tuesday attacked a health center involved in an ongoing anti-polio campaign in northwestern Pakistan, sparking a gunfight that resulted in the death of a police officer, local authorities reported. In the exchange, three attackers were also killed.
The attack took place in Orakzai, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a former base for the Pakistani Taliban, though no group immediately claimed responsibility.
According to local police officer, the assault occurred in the morning as health workers were assembling to begin a door-to-door campaign, accompanied by police officers assigned to protect the polio teams. No polio workers were injured in the attack, though another police officer sustained injuries.
Polio campaign under attack
Later that day, terrorists also raided a health center in North Waziristan, another area previously held by the Pakistani Taliban in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They reportedly seized weapons from the officers present and cautioned health workers not to participate in the polio campaign, as confirmed to news agencies by local police. The attackers then departed with the confiscated firearms without providing further details.
Militants in Pakistan frequently target both police and polio workers, alleging that vaccination efforts are part of a Western scheme to sterilize children.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where polio transmission has not been eradicated. In severe cases, the virus can lead to irreversible paralysis and even death.
Campaign to vaccinate 45 million children
On Monday, Pakistan initiated another national campaign to vaccinate 45 million children under the age of 5 in response to a rise in new cases. This campaign marks the country’s third polio drive this year. So far in 2024, Pakistan has reported 41 cases across 71 districts, predominantly in southwestern Balochistan, southern Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and eastern Punjab provinces.
In Afghanistan, health authorities stated that a similar vaccination campaign began on Monday across 16 of the nation’s 34 provinces, aiming to immunize 6.2 million children under 5 over a three-day period, according to spokesperson Sharafat Zaman. Data from the World Health Organization confirms 23 cases in Afghanistan this year.
Read More: Pakistan Fails To Curb Polio: A New Surge In Cases Reported
