In a tragic incident in Dera Ismail Khan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a powerful roadside bomb detonated near a vehicle transporting police officers assigned to safeguard polio workers. The attack resulted in the deaths of three officers, while two others sustained injuries. The officers were targeted as they were returning to their stations after their duty.
No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, which follows a recent attack in Karak city where unidentified gunmen shot at police accompanying polio workers, resulting in the death of one officer and injuring a health worker.
This violence unfolded just a day after Pakistan initiated its final nationwide polio vaccination campaign for the year, with the goal of safeguarding 45 million children. Despite global efforts, Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only two countries where the poliovirus has not been eradicated, as confirmed by the World Health Organization.
Since the beginning of this year, Pakistan has reported 63 confirmed polio cases, prompting the continuation of the ongoing vaccination campaign until December 22. Tragically, insurgents frequently target police and health workers involved in anti-polio campaigns, with over 200 casualties among these groups since the 1990s, as reported by health officials and authorities.
