In a fresh attack on health workers in Pakistan, unknown gunmen attacked polio immunization team in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s Swabi district, killing a policeman.

Islamabad, Jan 29: A polio immunization team was attacked by unknown assailants in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s Swabi district, killing a policeman.

Pakistan’s newspaper, Dawn quoted police officer as saying that unknown assailants attacked a polio vaccination team at Gullu Dheri area of Swabi  in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with sophisticated weapons. “A policeman was critically injured in the attack. He was taken to a local hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead”.

The police officer said two female health workers, who also were part of anti-polio team were unhurt in the attack.

He said a massive manhunt has been launched to track down the attackers, who were two in number and boarding a motorbike.

Emergency meeting to be convened

A top health official said 538 teams comprising 754 female health workers were operating for eradication of the polio in the country. “Each team was escorted by a policeman”.

He said after the fresh attack, an emergency meeting will be convened to discuss future of the three-day immunisation campaign, which was in progress from Jan 28. “It was supposed to end on January 30 (tomorrow).

Police officials suspect that attack might have been carried out by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants. The outfit had owned responsibility of previous attacks on health workers  in country.

It is pertinent to mention here that nine polio workers were killed in a series of attacks across Pakistan in December 2012. These attacks prompted authorities to suspend anti-polio immunization drive in militancy hit areas.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News