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Two Police Officers Killed While Guarding Polio Teams in Pakistan’s Bajaur

The killings highlight how violence keeps undercutting Pakistan’s latest nationwide push to stamp out polio.

Overview

  • Two police constables in Bajaur, killed Monday in separate shootings while assigned to protect polio teams, were identified as Syed Aziz and Syed Qadir Shah.
  • The attacks struck Salarzai tehsil in the Qila Nazakai, Tabbai and Dag Qila areas, where gunmen on motorcycles opened fire and fled.
  • The shootings coincided with the launch of a week-long vaccination drive in 79 high‑risk districts that aims to give polio drops to more than 19 million children.
  • Police tightened security and began search operations across Bajaur after the attacks, as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the killings and requested detailed reports.
  • No group has claimed responsibility; Pakistan has lost more than 200 polio workers and escorts since the 1990s as militants spread false claims about vaccines and recent years saw a resurgence in cases.