In a tragic incident in Pakistan's northwest, gunmen fatally shot a police officer who was assigned to protect polio workers. This marks the 11th death of a police officer this year while on security duty for vaccination campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The attack took place in the Wargari area of Lakki Marwat district, where the gunmen targeted a team of polio workers. Police official Sajid Khan confirmed the incident, mentioning that one of the attackers also lost his life during the exchange of fire, while the rest managed to escape.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the assault, such violence during anti-polio campaigns is not uncommon in Pakistan. Militants often target vaccination teams and the police protecting them, falsely alleging that the campaigns are part of a Western conspiracy to harm children.
Despite these challenges, a five-day anti-polio campaign commenced in nine high-risk districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday. Health workers are aiming to administer vaccines to approximately 3.28 million children under the age of 5. To ensure the safety of the teams, more than 26,000 police officers have been deployed for protection.
It is crucial to note that Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only countries where the transmission of polio has not been eradicated. This potentially fatal and paralyzing disease predominantly affects children under the age of 5 and is commonly spread through contaminated water sources.
