Two policemen, health worker martyred in attack on polio team
NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Two policemen and a health worker were martyred and a passer-by sustained bullet injuries when unidentified gunmen attacked a polio vaccination team in North Waziristan tribal district on Tuesday.
Police officials said the gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on the policemen and health worker who were going door-to-door to administer polio drops to children in the volatile district.
The incident took place in the Tang Kali area of tehsil Datakhel near the Afghan border.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) also said in a statement that two policemen and a health worker were martyred.
The martyred policemen were identified as Din Shaheed Khan and Razaullah and the health worker as Rasheedullah.
An eight-year-old boy, Mohammad Khan, was injured in the attack. He was shifted to a hospital in Miramshah.
A police spokesperson said that a search operation was launched in the area but no one was arrested.
Since April this year, 11 polio cases have been reported in North Waziristan.
Meanwhile, funeral prayers for the martyred policemen were held at Miramshah police lines. General Office Commanding Major General Naeem Akhtar, Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali Khan and other officials attended the funeral prayers.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the cabinet had strongly condemned the attack on the polio team in North Waziristan.
The interior minister was directed to present a report on the incident in the next cabinet meeting.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday condoled the killing of three security personnel deputed with the polio vaccination team in Tank.
Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2022