Gunmen kill two policemen guarding polio vaccinators in Pakistan

According to reports, gunmen killed two policemen guarding polio vaccinators in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The police cordoned off the area as reports claimed the gunmen fled the scene after the attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. The polio vaccination teams are accompanied by policemen in Pakistan.

Reports claimed the two gunmenshot the police officials from close range and fled on a bike. Chief minister Mehmood Khan called it "an act of cowardice" and ordered the police to apprehend the culprits. The incident took place in Kot Azam in Tank district. The identity of the gunmen isunknown.

In June, three people were killed including two policemenas they were escorting a polio vaccination team in Waziristan. Earlier in March, a gunman had killed a female polio vaccination.Last year, a police officer was killed while guarding the polio team in northwestern Pakistan.

Pakistan had reported the first case of polio in over a year even amid the killings. At least 14 more polio cases have been reported this year in the country.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) report said Pakistan has witnessed a surge in polio cases since 2018. The anti-polio campaign also received a setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The WHO report identified central Pakistan and south Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as "high risk" areas. The report added that Pakistan has been unable to arrest polio cases which haverisen since 2019.

The International Health Regulations (IHR) has classified Pakistan as a state infected with polio with "potential risk of international spread". The IHR has recommended all travellers to be fully vaccinated against polio while visiting the polio-affected areas.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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