Armed terrorists martyred two policemen protecting a polio vaccination team in Upper Orakzai, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while three attackers were also killed in retaliatory firing by security forces.

Upper Orakzai Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Muhammad Rahim said the incident took place in Dabori Badan area where gunmen opened fire on police personnel. police escorting vaccinators.

One of the police officers, Sayyed Hameed, lost his life on the spot, while the other was transferred to Orakzai district hospital. However, the injured policeman Muzammil also succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

In quick response to the attack, the Frontier Corps cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Muhammad Raheem later confirmed that three terrorists were killed in retaliatory firing by FC personnel, while one of the militants was injured.

President Asif Ali Zardari in a statement condemned the armed attack on the polio vaccination team, expressing sadness over the martyrdom of the police officers.

“The cops bravely fought the attackers and killed three terrorists, for which they deserve salutes,” he said in the statement.

Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured police officers, the President pledged to continue all efforts aimed at eliminating poliovirus across the country.

Reacting to the incident, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack on the police and paid tribute to the martyred personnel.

“An attack on the anti-polio squad is an attack on the secure future of Pakistan,” he said.

It is noteworthy that the government has launched separate polio vaccination drives across the country following the recent surge in cases of the crippling disease.

Pakistan reported the 41st case of the year: a 42-month-old girl was crippled by wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Balochistan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

The southwest province is becoming an area of ​​intense polio transmission this year, with 21 of the country’s 41 cases reported. The distribution of remaining cases is in Sindh (12), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (six) and one each in Punjab and Islamabad.

The current campaign, led by Pakistan’s polio programme, aims to vaccinate more than 45 million children under the age of five and began yesterday (Monday).

Officials emphasize the importance of full participation, as incomplete vaccination coverage leaves communities vulnerable to the continued spread and resurgence of polio.

Since its launch in 1994, the polio eradication program has largely contained the virus, and Pakistan was on the verge of completely eradicating the disease until this year since only six cases had been reported in 2023.

It is one of the last two countries where polio is still endemic in the world, along with Afghanistan, and authorities are urging parents to actively participate in the ongoing national polio vaccination campaign.

Polio is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that mainly affects children under the age of five, who are malnourished or have low immunity because they are under-vaccinated or unvaccinated against polio and other diseases infantile.

The disease invades the nervous system and causes paralysis and even death. Although there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children against this debilitating disease.

Pakistan’s rigorous efforts to eradicate polio face significant challenges, particularly in areas where insecurity, misinformation and parental pushback hamper vaccination campaigns.