2 cops guarding polio team martyred in Balochistan's Noshki

Two police officers were killed on Tuesday when assailants fired upon a polio vaccination team in Balochistan’s Noshki, according to police sources. The officers were protecting a group of female polio workers who were part of a week-long vaccination drive that began in the province’s 32 districts on Monday. The team and its members were unharmed during the attack, which saw the perpetrators flee with the officers’ weapons.

The anti-polio campaign in the region has since been suspended. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack at this time.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the incident, expressing his condolences to the families of the two martyred officers, identified as constables Muhammad Yasir and Abdul Rauf. Naqvi vowed that those responsible for targeting the polio team would face severe punishment. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti requested a report on the incident from the provincial Home Department, paying tribute to the deceased and stressing that their sacrifice was made in the line of duty. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the safety of anti-polio campaign teams.

Pakistan, along with Afghanistan, is one of the last two countries in the world where polio remains endemic. The week-long vaccination drive, which began in Balochistan on Monday, aims to immunize 2.3 million children under five to eradicate the virus from the region. This campaign follows recent environmental data that revealed two positive environmental samples in the province.