A police officer was tragically martyred in an attack on a polio vaccination team in Khyber district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Monday. The attack occurred when Abdul Khaliq, a police officer, was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Ghundi in the Bakarabad area of Jamrud, as confirmed by District Police Officer (DPO) Khyber, Rai Mazhar Iqbal.
The assailants, who were riding a motorcycle, ambushed the police officer as he was providing security for the polio vaccination team. Fortunately, the health workers on the vaccination team were not harmed in the attack. However, the attackers managed to flee the scene before the police could respond. Authorities recovered two bullet casings from a 30-bore firearm at the site of the shooting. In response, law enforcement has established multiple checkpoints throughout the region to track down the culprits and ensure the safety of local residents.
A health department official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the vaccination team operating in Bakarabad had been called back, and the ongoing polio vaccination campaign in the area has been temporarily halted due to security concerns. The incident has raised alarm about the growing threats faced by health workers and security personnel involved in such vital public health campaigns in the region.
