QUETTA: Two policemen were martyred on Tuesday as armed assailants fired at a polio vaccination team in Balochistan’s Noshki, police said.

Noshki City Station House Office (SHO) Munawar Zaman said the cops were guarding a team of female polio workers taking part in a week-long drive, which began in the province’s 32 districts on Monday, when armed assailants on a motorcycle opened fire on them.

The team and its members were unhurt in the incident, SHO Zaman told Dawn. According to the official, the attackers fled the scene after taking the martyred officials’ weapons.

Following the incident, the anti-polio campaign in the area has been suspended. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack thus far.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi “strongly” condemned the incident, expressing grief over the martyrdom of the two cops, who were identified as constables Muhammad Yasir and Abdul Rauf.

He offered his condolences to the bereaved families, adding: “The attack on the team working to secure the future of our children is a heinous and unforgivable act.”

He vowed exemplary punishment for those who targeted the polio team.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti sought a report on the incident from the provincial Home Department. He paid tribute to the martyred personnel, saying that they had sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

The chief minister said that police investigation was underway to determine the motives behind the incident and identify the elements involved.

“The anti-polio campaign is a national effort to protect children from a dangerous disease, and the safety of the teams associated with this campaign is of utmost importance,” he said.

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic.

Under the week-long campaign which began in Balochistan on Monday, 2.3 million children under five will be inoculated to eliminate the virus from the region.

The vaccination drive comes after recent environmental data showing that two positive environmental samples were detected in the province.