In a tragic development on Monday, two police officers lost their lives in separate attacks aimed at polio vaccination teams operating in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The incidents occurred in the Tabbai and Dag Qila areas of Salarzai, where unidentified assailants launched assaults on the teams responsible for administering polio vaccines.
The fallen officers have been identified as Qadir and Aziz, both of whom were providing security to the vaccination teams during their critical public health mission. A deputy inspector general of police confirmed the details of the attacks, highlighting the ongoing risks faced by personnel involved in the polio eradication campaign in this region.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the attacks on the police personnel. He described the targeting of officials engaged in national service as a cowardly act and emphasized that such violent attempts would not deter the government’s efforts. The Chief Minister has requested a comprehensive report from the Inspector General of Police to better understand the circumstances surrounding these attacks.
These assaults are part of a disturbing pattern in the terrorism-affected province, where hostile groups frequently attempt to disrupt vaccination drives by attacking health workers and their security escorts. Earlier this year, in January, four policemen were killed in two separate firing incidents targeting similar teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Despite these challenges, authorities remain committed to continuing the vaccination efforts to protect children from polio in the region.
