Two Policemen Killed While Guarding Polio Team in Nushki, Balochistan

Two policemen assigned to guard a polio vaccination team were shot and killed by unidentified armed attackers in Nushki district, Balochistan, police reported on Tuesday.

Nushki City police station identified the deceased officers as Yasir Ahmed and Abdul Rauf. Authorities stated that the assailants also seized the weapons of the fallen officers after the attack.

Violence against polio teams and their security personnel has been reported previously in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where attacks aim to hinder immunization efforts. In May of this year, two police officers were killed in separate attacks on polio teams in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This incident happened during a nationwide anti-polio campaign, which began on September 21 and will run until September 27, aiming to vaccinate approximately 31 million children against polio.

Earlier in September, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to eradicating polio during a meeting with representatives from the Gates Foundation. The Prime Minister acknowledged the Foundation's significant support in the fight against polio and their contributions to health and social welfare initiatives in the country.