A police officer protecting a polio vaccination team in Pakistan was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen. The attack highlights the ongoing dangers faced by health workers in their efforts to combat polio in the country.
A police officer participating in Pakistan 's first polio vaccination drive of the year was fatally shot by unidentified gunmen on Monday, according to police. Pakistan has deployed thousands of police officers to safeguard health workers who conduct door-to-door immunization campaigns for children. These workers are frequently targeted by militants who propagate the false conspiracy theory that vaccination programs are a Western plot to sterilize children.
The slain officer was killed in Jamrud, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, as confirmed by local police official Jamshed Khan. Since the 1990s, over 200 polio workers and their police escorts have been killed in Pakistan, as reported by health officials and authorities. In December, a roadside bomb detonated near a vehicle carrying police officers assigned to protect polio workers in the volatile northwest, resulting in the deaths of three officers and injuries to two others. While militant groups have ceased claiming responsibility for attacks on polio workers and their police escorts, authorities maintain that the Pakistani Taliban and other splinter factions of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are responsible for such assaults. The TTP, an ally of the Afghan Taliban who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, is believed to be behind these attacks.Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the vaccination campaign on Sunday, meeting with medical personnel and representatives from international aid organizations. He pledged that Pakistan would triumph in its fight against polio. The campaign, commencing on Monday, aims to vaccinate 44.2 million children under the age of 5 and will continue until the following Sunday. Ayesha Raza Farooq, the prime minister's advisor for polio eradication, appealed to parents to collaborate with polio workers to safeguard their children from the disease. Polio is a viral infection that primarily affects children under 5. While most children infected with polio exhibit no symptoms, it can cause fever, headaches, vomiting, and spinal stiffness. In severe cases, polio can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis within hours, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Pakistan reported one case in January and had 77 cases last year. Afghanistan had 23 cases in 2024, according to WHO data. Pakistan aims for both countries to simultaneously launch vaccination campaigns to eradicate the disease. In September, the Afghan Taliban suspended house-to-house polio vaccination campaigns, forcing parents to bring their children to designated locations for inoculation.
Polio Pakistan Vaccination Militants Police Health Workers Taliban
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Police Officer Shoots, Kills Dog After Attack on Child and Animal Control OfficerAn officer in Irondequoit, New York, fatally shot a dog that attacked a one-year-old girl and an animal control officer. The incident occurred Friday morning when officers responded to a report of a dog bite. The dog escaped its leash and bit the child and then the animal control officer before being shot by the officer.
Read more »
Philadelphia Police Officer Shoots Driver After Camaro Hits Officer During Investigation of Car MeetupA Philadelphia police officer shot a 22-year-old man after he allegedly struck an officer with a Chevrolet Camaro during an investigation of a car meetup in the city. The incident occurred early Sunday morning after police pursued the suspect's vehicle from a Target parking lot where the meetup was taking place.
Read more »
Miami Beach Police Officer Accidentally Shoots Fellow Officer During Suspect ArrestBody camera footage reveals the moment a Miami Beach Police officer accidentally shot a fellow officer in the leg while struggling with a suspect. Officer Shenaqua Stringer was responding to a 911 call about a suspicious person when the incident occurred. The suspect reached into his pocket, prompting Stringer to draw her weapon. During the struggle, Officer Fabio Balanos arrived and was accidentally shot by Stringer. The suspect, later identified as a missing person, was not charged with a crime. The incident remains under internal investigation.
Read more »
Detroit Police Officer Killed in Hit-and-Run CrashA Detroit police officer was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Sunday, leaving his department and city mourning. Officer Cameron Richardson was off-duty at the time of the accident.
Read more »
Detroit police officer killed in hit-and-run crash, person of interest at largeA Detroit police officer was killed on Sunday in a hit-and-run crash while driving home from work, and a person of interest remains at large.
Read more »
Detroit Police Officer Killed in Hit-and-Run CrashOfficer Cameron Richardson, a one-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department, was killed in an off-duty hit-and-run crash. He was previously an Army Ranger and was driving home from work when a van collided with his vehicle, causing it to roll over.
Read more »