Two Pakistani police officers were shot dead on Wednesday while protecting a polio vaccination team in the Teeri area of Mastung district in Balochistan, officials confirmed, marking the second fatal attack on such teams since the nationwide inoculation drive began earlier this week.
According to local administrator Manan Tareen, the attack occurred when two unidentified gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on the officers as they stood guard outside a house where the health workers were administering polio drops to children.
“One of the policemen died on the spot while the other was critically injured and later died at the hospital,” Tareen told AFP. “The team of health workers remained unharmed, as they were inside a house conducting vaccinations.”
The identity of the attackers remains unknown, and no group has claimed responsibility for the assault. However, such attacks have been routinely carried out by militant outfits who view the vaccination campaigns with suspicion, often accusing them of being cover operations for espionage.
Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the provincial government, confirmed the death toll and said security agencies are investigating the attack. He added that despite the assault, vaccination efforts would continue and security around teams would be reviewed and strengthened.
This incident follows a similar attack earlier this week in the restive province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where a police officer was gunned down while accompanying a vaccination team.
Polio remains endemic in only two countries—Pakistan and Afghanistan—and efforts to eradicate the virus have been severely hampered by repeated attacks on health workers and their security escorts. Since 2012, more than 100 health workers and police personnel have been killed in such targeted assaults in Pakistan.
The Pakistani government has continued its fight against polio with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international partners. The current nationwide campaign aims to immunize millions of children under the age of five, especially in high-risk areas like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
