0
0
At least five people, including two policemen, were injured in a terrorist attack on a polio vaccination team in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police officials reported. The attack occurred on Saturday in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district when unidentified assailants opened fire on the polio team, injuring two policemen and several members of the vaccination staff.
The attackers fled the scene after the assault, prompting law enforcement to launch an operation in the surrounding areas to apprehend the culprits, according to a report by Xinhua news agency. As of now, no group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack.
This violent incident coincides with the commencement of a five-day anti-polio campaign in the province, aimed at vaccinating over 3.56 million children under the age of five. Despite the ongoing security threats, health officials are determined to continue the vaccination drive to eradicate polio from the region.
The attack highlights the ongoing challenges faced by polio vaccination teams in Pakistan, where militant groups have previously targeted health workers. These groups often propagate misinformation, claiming that the polio vaccine is a Western plot to sterilize Muslim children, leading to violent resistance against vaccination efforts.
Local and international health organizations have condemned the attack, emphasizing the importance of protecting health workers who are risking their lives to ensure the health and safety of children. The government has reiterated its commitment to continue the polio vaccination campaigns and to provide enhanced security measures for the teams involved.
The attack underscores the critical need for increased security and community awareness to support the eradication of polio in Pakistan, one of the few remaining countries where the disease is still endemic.
