Table of Contents
Attack on Polio Security Team in Hangu
A police constable was martyred and four other personnel injured when militants ambushed a police squad assigned to protect a polio vaccination team in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district on Monday, April 13, 2026 .
The attack occurred in the Chapri Wazira area of Thall tehsil in Hangu district, which is considered a sensitive region bordering the former tribal areas . The targeted police team was en route to escort polio workers conducting door-to-door vaccinations when armed assailants opened fire .
Casualties and Official Response
The martyred officer was identified as Constable Israrul Haq, a resident of Shangla who was enrolled in the Police Training Course Intermediate program at the time . Four other police personnel sustained injuries in the attack and were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment .
Police returned fire, reportedly killing two attackers . However, accomplices retrieved the bodies of the slain militants from the scene .
Kohat Deputy Inspector General Irfan Tariq commended the police personnel for their bravery in thwarting the attack and vowed that the assailants would be pursued and brought to justice . A search operation was launched in the area, and security was placed on high alert .
Condemnation from Provincial Leadership
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the attack, describing the targeting of personnel performing national duty as a “cowardly act” . He sought a report from the provincial police chief and directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured .
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi also condemned the incident, stating that “those who target police personnel deployed for the security of polio teams deserve no leniency” . He labeled the attackers as “enemies of the safe future of our children” .
Nationwide Polio Campaign Underway
The attack occurred on the first day of a week-long nationwide anti-polio campaign scheduled from April 13 to April 19, 2026 . The campaign aims to vaccinate over 45 million children under the age of five across Pakistan, including more than 23 million in Punjab and over 7.2 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa .
Despite the attack, regional police officials confirmed that the polio vaccination campaign in Hangu would continue as planned . “The terrorists cannot demoralize the nation,” Hangu Police stated .
Security Challenges for Polio Eradication
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where polio is still endemic . Polio workers and the security personnel assigned to protect them are frequently targeted by militants, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan .
In 2024 alone, at least 20 people were killed and 53 injured during anti-polio operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa . Pakistan confirmed its first wild poliovirus case of 2026 on March 5, detected in a four-year-old child from Sujawal district in Sindh .
