Motorcyclists Kill Two Officers Guarding Polio Teams in Mohmand

Two police officers died and a third was wounded in a drive-by shooting in Mohmand district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on Tuesday. Suspected militants riding a motorcycle fired on the officers, who were en route to protect polio vaccination workers in a nearby village, according to police officer Ayaz Khan. The attackers fled the scene, and no group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident.

The violence occurred in a district that borders Afghanistan, a region where militant groups frequently target health workers. Officials noted that the Pakistani Taliban and other groups often attack anti-polio drives. These groups falsely claim that vaccination campaigns are part of a Western conspiracy to sterilize children. The recent attacks follow a pattern of increasing hostility toward medical personnel in the area.

The shooting took place one day after another incident in the province. Suspected militants abducted four polio workers in Tank district on Monday. Provincial Governor Faisal Karim Kundi issued a statement condemning the abductions. He urged authorities to take immediate steps to secure the safe release of the workers as soon as possible.

In Islamabad, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi addressed the killing of the officers. He described the attack as intolerable and offered condolences to the families of the two killed officers. Naqvi said the officers worked for a healthier future for the country. His statement came as the government attempted to maintain confidence in the ongoing health initiative.

Pakistan began a nationwide campaign on Monday to vaccinate 24 million children against polio. The effort is part of broader goals to eradicate the disease. According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan and its neighbor Afghanistan remain the only countries where wild poliovirus is endemic. Health officials are continuing the door-to-door vaccination efforts despite the recent security incidents.