Violence Strikes Polio Campaign: Pakistani Workers Under Fire

A polio vaccination team was attacked in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, injuring a constable. The attack occurred amid a province-wide anti-polio campaign. Three polio workers were abducted in a related incident. The region's violent climate challenges efforts to combat endemic poliovirus, endangering workers and complicating eradication initiatives.

A constable was injured in an attack on a polio vaccination team in northwest Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, local police reported. Identified as Muhammad Anas, the constable sustained a bullet wound to his leg when an armed assailant opened fire on his team on Samana Road in the Hangu district.

Police apprehended the suspect shortly after the incident. This attack occurred just two days after a police constable was killed and four others were wounded by unidentified militants while guarding another vaccination team in the region.

In the same province, three polio workers were kidnapped in Bannu district, highlighting the dangerous conditions faced during the ongoing four-day anti-polio campaign aimed at vaccinating 6.5 million children. Despite deployment of significant security measures, including 50,000 police personnel, the threat of violence persists, complicating efforts to eradicate polio.

(With inputs from agencies.)