Two policemen martyred, one injured in attack on polio team in K-P's Mohmand

President Zardari, Naqvi condemn firing on personnel deployed on anti-polio duty, pay tribute to martyred policemen

PESHAWAR:

Two policemen were martyred, and another was injured when unidentified armed men attacked a polio vaccination team in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's (K-P) Mohmand district on Tuesday, District Police Officer (DPO) Raza Muhammad Khan said.

The DPO said one terrorist was also injured in the incident while a search operation was underway following the attack.

The attack took place in the Tamanzai area, within the jurisdiction of Pandiali Police Station, during an anti-polio vaccination campaign. Police identified the martyred personnel as Zahoor and Arabi, while the injured officer was named Sabir.

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the incident, expressing "profound grief and sorrow" over the martyrdom of the police personnel, paying tribute to their "dedication, bravery, and national services."

According to a post on X, President Zardari stated that the targeting of personnel performing their duties in the anti-polio campaign "to protect children" was "extremely regrettable and condemnable:"

He expressed heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of the martyrs, while extending prayers for the swift recovery of the injured personnel.

"Police personnel deployed to protect polio teams are performing a national duty; their sacrifices will not be forgotten," President Zardari said.

صدرِ مملکت آصف علی زرداری کی ضلع مہمند کی تحصیل پنڈیالی میں انسدادِ پولیو مہم کے دوران سیکیورٹی پر مامور پولیس اہلکاروں پر فائرنگ کے واقعے کی شدید مذمت۔

صدرِ مملکت کا فائرنگ کے واقعے میں پولیس اہلکاروں کی شہادت پر گہرے دکھ اور افسوس کا اظہار۔

صدر مملکت کا شہید پولیس اہلکاروں کی…

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) November 3, 2026

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the firing on the personnel deployed on anti-polio duty, paying tribute to the two policemen martyred in the incident. Naqvi expressed "heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of the martyred," the statement said.

"The policemen deployed to protect polio workers are striving for our healthy future," Naqvi said. He also termed the incident "unacceptable," saying that "the elements involved in the firing do not deserve any leniency."

Read: 24m children to get polio drops in upcoming drive

Earlier, four polio workers were abducted by unidentified armed men after being subjected to gunfire in the Tank district, while two other members of a polio vaccination team, who had been kidnapped in Lower South Waziristan, were subsequently released.

The incident in Tank occurred in the village of Jious, located in the Sheikh Attar union council, where unidentified armed men abducted four polio workers. The gunmen reportedly took all four workers to an undisclosed location.

In a separate incident, two members of a polio vaccination team were abducted by armed men in the Azam Warsak area of Lower South Waziristan. Sources said armed men affiliated with the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were allegedly involved in the kidnapping. However, both polio workers were later released.

The incidents came amid a special anti-polio campaign launched on November 2 in 97 selected districts across the country. According to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) for Polio Eradication, the campaign will continue until November 8.

NEOC confirmed Pakistan’s seventh polio case of the year, reported from Khyber district of K-P. The affected child was a 13-month-old girl belonging to Jan Baz Union Council in Bara tehsil, the NEOC said. This was the second polio case reported from Khyber district this year and the sixth from K-P.