By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi
BAJAUR: Two police personnel deployed to protect a polio vaccination team were killed in separate firing incidents in Bajaur, underscoring once again the persistent security risks surrounding immunization campaigns in Pakistan’s north-western districts.
According to a Deputy Superintendent of Police, the attacks took place in the Salarzai area, including Tabai and Dog Qila, where unidentified armed assailants opened fire on security escorts accompanying teams engaged in the ongoing anti-polio drive. The officers, identified as Qadir and Aziz, were killed in the line of duty while providing protection to health workers.
Officials said the attackers fled the scene immediately after the assaults, taking advantage of the rugged terrain and scattered population settlements in the area. Law enforcement agencies subsequently launched a search operation aimed at tracking down those responsible, though no arrests had been announced at the time of reporting.
Security has been tightened across the district following the incidents, with additional personnel deployed to safeguard vaccination teams continuing their work under heightened threat conditions. Authorities said the anti-polio campaign would proceed, albeit under reinforced protection measures.
Polio vaccination drives in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have long required police escorts due to repeated attacks on health workers and their security details by militant groups opposed to immunization efforts.
Officials stressed that the latest killings would not deter ongoing efforts to reach children in high-risk areas, although they acknowledged that the security environment remains challenging for frontline workers operating in remote and volatile regions.
