QUETTA – A policeman deployed for the security of the polio team was martyred when unidentified assailants opened fire at him near Pishin – a district located north of Balochistan’s capital.
Local police officials told the media that the incident took place in the Kali Tarata area of Pishin on Tuesday as terrorists opened fire at the vaccination team.
The polio team workers remained unhurt in the latest attack however constable Muhammad Hashim lost his life, saving the country’s child from the crippling disease.
The body of the deceased policeman was shifted to the provincial capital for medico-legal formalities.
Meanwhile, security forces have started a search operation in the sparsely populated region to arrest the attackers.
The attack comes a day after the South Asian country launched a week-long anti-polio campaign in 83 districts of four provinces.
The recent incident occurred amid national anti-polio campaign which started in parts of the country after new cases were reported in North Waziristan. At least 20 polio cases have so far been reported in South Asian country this year and all of them are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan launches week-long national vaccination drive on World Polio Day
More than 100 people associated with the polio drive have been killed across Pakistan in the past decade.
Militants often target polio teams and policemen assigned to protect them claiming the vaccination campaigns as a ‘Western conspiracy’.
Child dies from polio in northwestern Pakistan; cases tally rises to 20
