Two police officers assigned to protect polio vaccination team martyred in Pakistan
A tragic incident has occurred in Pakistan during an anti-polio campaign, in which two police officers assigned to protect a polio team were martyred by unknown assailants who opened fire on them. This incident took place in a sensitive area of the country where polio workers were going door-to-door to administer drops to children.
According to police officials, the officers were performing their duties when attackers on a motorcycle suddenly opened indiscriminate fire on them. After the attack, the assailants managed to escape from the scene. Immediately after the incident, the area was cordoned off and a search operation was launched to find the culprits.
Pakistan is among the few countries in the world where the polio virus still exists. Continuous efforts are being made by the government and the World Health Organization to make the country polio-free; however, security concerns and resistance in certain areas remain major obstacles to these efforts.
A government spokesperson has strongly condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the families of the martyred officers. Officials stated that such cowardly attacks cannot weaken the national resolve to eradicate polio, and the anti-polio campaign will continue at all costs.
The government has decided to further tighten security arrangements to ensure the protection of polio teams. The public has also been urged to cooperate in getting their children vaccinated against polio so that the country can be completely rid of this disease.