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A Pakistani police constable was martyred and a terrorist shot dead in an armed attack targeting a polio vaccination team in South Waziristan, a tribal district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. The attack took place amid heightened security concerns during Pakistan’s ongoing anti-polio campaign.
The constable, deployed specifically for polio campaign security, lost his life in an exchange of fire when armed militants ambushed the team. Security forces responded swiftly, killing one attacker.
Authorities recovered from the deceased militant a rocket launcher, a machine gun, and two motorcycles. A national identity card, three ATM cards, and a smartphone were also seized. A case has been registered at the CTD Azam Warsak police station, and further investigation is underway.
Pakistan’s Polio Campaign Under Fire
The incident occurred just a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the second nationwide anti-polio campaign of 2025, running from April 21 to April 27.
Despite progress, Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries in the world where polio is still endemic. Vaccination efforts are often met with resistance from militant groups, who falsely claim the campaigns are part of Western conspiracies or espionage.
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Militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have frequently targeted health workers and security personnel. Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has seen a sharp uptick in cross-border militant activity, especially in KP and Balochistan.
Previous Attacks on Polio Workers
- In 2024, at least 20 people were killed and 53 injured during attacks on polio teams in KP alone.
- In February 2025, a police officer was martyred in Bajaur when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a team en route to a vaccination site.
Government Response and Security Challenges
The Pakistani government continues to deploy armed police and paramilitary forces to protect health workers, but the security challenges persist. Officials stress the importance of defeating both polio and the terrorism that threatens those working to eliminate it.
While Pakistan remains committed to polio eradication, attacks like these underscore the dual fight against both a deadly disease and extremist violence.
