Militant Attack on Polio Team Sparks Security Alert in Pakistan

A militant was killed in a police shootout as a polio vaccination team faced an attack in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Security operations see increased militant incidents, with over 100 attacks reported. The urgency to combat polio grows as environmental samples show poliovirus presence in Karachi.

A militant was gunned down by police while accompanying a polio vaccination team that was attacked in northwest Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday. The local police department's statement reported that unknown assailants targeted a station house officer (SHO) from the Azam Warsak Police Station and his team in the Kalosha area of South Waziristan.

The police confirmed that one terrorist was neutralized during a 30-minute exchange of fire, while the rest managed to escape. A sub-machine gun, rocket launcher, and two motorcycles were confiscated at the scene. The deceased, identified as Afnan, was found with multiple identity cards, ATM cards, and a smartphone, some linking back to a fallen police constable in an earlier attack.

With militant violence rising sharply since March, Pakistan ranks second in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index. In response to rising poliovirus detections, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal emphasized urgent countermeasures, as national anti-polio campaigns and awareness are essential, especially given significant vaccination refusal rates.

(With inputs from agencies.)