Two Police Officers Killed in Attack on Polio Vaccination Team in Northwest Pakistan

November 3, 2026 - 15:43

Suspected militants opened fire on a police detail assigned to protect polio vaccination workers in northwestern Pakistan, killing two officers, officials said. The attack took place as health teams were carrying out a nationwide immunization drive aimed at eradicating the virus.

The officers were guarding vaccinators in a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a region that has seen repeated violence against immunization campaigns. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the shooting. Police launched a search operation in the area after the attack.

Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio has never been eliminated. Health workers and the security personnel assigned to protect them have faced persistent threats, and hundreds have been killed over the years. Many campaigns have been suspended in high-risk areas after attacks, leaving large numbers of children without access to the vaccine.

Officials condemned the shooting and said the vaccination drive would continue in safer districts. The killing highlights the difficult conditions facing health teams in the region, where mistrust of immunization efforts and militant opposition have slowed progress toward eradication.