At least five police officials lost their lives and 22 others sustained injuries on Monday in a bomb explosion that targeted a police vehicle in Mamund tehsil of Bajaur district.
The police officers were en route to provide security for polio vaccination teams. Authorities expressed concerns about possible additional casualties in the incident.
The deceased and injured were transported to Khar hospital, where an emergency was declared. The hospital appealed for blood donations to aid in the treatment of the victims.
A police spokesperson confirmed that all the casualties were members of the police force.
Senator Sherry Rehman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) condemned the attack on the police officials deployed to safeguard the anti-polio team in Bajaur. She expressed solidarity with the families of the five personnel martyred in the explosion.
Rehman emphasized that such attacks not only target the police but also jeopardize the health of children. She called for immediate arrest and severe punishment for the terrorists involved in the incident, stating that their actions hinder the country’s efforts to eradicate polio.
Caretaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Syed Arshad Hussain Shah also denounced the blast, expressing sorrow over the loss of lives and offering condolences to the victims’ families. He directed the district administration to promptly provide health facilities to the injured.
Shah reassured that cowardly attacks would not diminish the police’s resolve, highlighting the sacrifices made by the KP Police for the protection of people’s lives and properties. He pledged assistance to the heirs of the martyrs through every possible means.
This incident follows a similar attack on a polio vaccination team in December of the previous year, where a policeman was killed in Malik Din Khel.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains endemic, and vaccination teams are frequently targeted by militants.
Amidst security challenges, preparations for a seven-day nationwide anti-polio campaign, beginning today, are underway. Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Salim Rajput urged polio workers to achieve a 100% vaccination target for children under five years of age, emphasizing the importance of parental cooperation in eliminating the threat of polio virus spread.
Efforts are also being made to address parental refusals, with comprehensive plans and lists of children and their parents prepared to ensure that every child receives polio drops. Community mobilizers are actively engaged to guarantee that no child is deprived of vaccination.
