In brief
During a polio vaccination drive in Mohmand district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two police officers were killed and a third wounded when militants opened fire on the security detail. The attack, the police report said, forced the gunmen to flee and prompted the police to cordon the area for investigation. The incident highlights growing insecurity for public health operations in Pakistan’s north‑western province.
Two police officers were killed and a third injured in an exchange of gunfire with militants during an anti‑polio vaccination campaign in Mohmand district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, police said on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The incident took place amid a routine polio vaccination drive, an effort that Pakistan carries out regularly to immunise children against the disease that remains endemic in the country and in neighbouring Afghanistan.
According to a police report, the security personnel were performing duties for the campaign when separatist gunmen opened fire. The attackers then fled the scene, and the area was quickly cordoned off for investigation.
Police said an injured officer was transferred to a nearby hospital, while the two dead policemen had been mortally wounded by the militants’ shots.
An unnamed source in the local police station confirmed that the exchange of fire left no group to have claimed responsibility for the attack. No official statement from any militant organisation has yet been released.
The Print, reporting from Peshawar, described the attackers as having used a rocket‑launcher in the assault and noted that the police were “guarding” the anti‑polio vaccination team when the gunfight erupted.
In a separate report from the Dawn newspaper, the police identified the killed officers as Constable Zahoor Khan and Constable Arbai Khan, and the wounded officer as Sepoy Sabir Khan. Dawn said that the local authorities later conducted funeral prayers for the deceased policemen.
The attack comes at a time when security forces across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been grappling with sporadic attacks that threaten the smooth execution of public health initiatives. Local officials are expressing concerns over the safety of health workers and police who are tasked with guarding vaccination teams in conflict‑prone areas.
Security analysts point out that the region’s history of insurgent activity and the presence of militant groups make it a risky environment for civil programmes. They warn that any disruptions could jeopardise the country’s progress in eliminating polio, a disease that still survives in only two nations worldwide.
In response to the incident, provincial police authorities urged for heightened security measures at future vaccination sites, noting that such steps are essential to preserve the safety of both the health personnel and the communities they serve. They also called on intelligence agencies to identify and neutralise the individuals responsible for the attack.
The incident underscores the delicate balance between public health objectives and the challenging security landscape in Pakistan’s northwestern province, prompting international observers to keep a close eye on the continued delivery of polio vaccination services in the area.
