Relatives and rescue workers carry the coffin of a man, who was killed in the blast. PHOTO: REUTERS
The explosion took place near a hospital in the Budh Bher area of the city.
According to initial details, the police van which was providing security to a polio team was targeted.
Around 12 police officers were in the van at the time of the blast.
The injured - including police officers - were taken to the Lady Reading Hospital where emergency was declared.
Security forces surrounded the area and started a search operation.
"It was an IED blast and the target was policemen," Najeebur Rehman, a senior police official told AFP, adding that the bomb went off just as officers reached the village to provide security to polio teams.
Nasir Durrani, police chief for northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province confirmed the incident and death toll.
"Most of those wounded were policemen," Durrani said.
Raheel Shah, another police official told AFP that polio workers remained safe in the attack as they were inside a health clinic in the village.
Authorities said bomb disposal experts defused a second device close to the site of the first blast and had halted polio vaccination.
"A second bomb weighing five kilo-grams of explosive has been defused. We have suspended the campaign for time being," Zahurul Islam, a senior government official told AFP.
Islam said all those wounded in the blast were policemen, adding that a total of 54 polio workers including 24 women were present inside the clinic.
Polio campaigns in three areas of the city have been suspended.
Peshawar is no stranger to bloodshed. It lies on the edge of the tribal areas and has frequently been hit by bombings and shootings.
Recent attacks include a suicide bombing on a church service, a bomb on a bus carrying government staff home after work and a powerful car bomb targeting a busy market on September 29. About 150 people were killed in the three attacks.
COMMENTS (46)
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@Khalid Ansari: FYI, when Dr. Salk invented the vaccine the first two children to get it were his children. I was the 10th. I was 13 years old. Two years before, 58,000 children got polio in the US. Today--NONE! You can see photos of me getting the shot in the documentary on the Discovery channel. Back then it was really scary to actually get an injection of a polio virus. Not only did Salk test it on his own children. Later it was tested on 1.8 million American children before being officially released. 100 million Americans contributed money to develop the vaccine. Then Salk released the formula free to the world. When I think of his shining example and then read you comments it makes me sick.
@Michael Greenwald: Enemies of humanity are all those people who have no concern for others stuck up in their their own egos, hypocrisy and falsehood. People who declare others to be 'enemies' in such a crude manner only expose themselves for what they are. The world would be a much better place without such deceivers posing in the garb of truth to destroy humanity and themselves in the process. I have wrongly used the Salk(older vaccine) term instead of the Sabin strain but it does not detract from the facts: The use of OPV was discontinued in the United States in 2000(Washington, D.C.: Public Health Foundation.) and in 2004 in the UK(Immunisation Against Infectious Disease. Edinburgh: Stationery Office. pp. 313–29. ISBN 0-11-322528-8) but it continues to be used around the globe. Is it only for the deprived and underprivileged? That is perhaps why tests for allergy are not conducted prior to the administration of the vaccine and in a home environment, where in case of a reaction the child is bound to die. I am sure you are confident that the life of someone you feel close to is not at stake, but never forget that the life of any human being is as precious as anybody elses. Several children have died as a result of the administration of the vaccine without prior tests and I am sure for callous people like yourself that is a mere statistic. The death of any person kills us all a little and I hope you are granted the small amount of intelligence this sensitivity requires.
@Michael Greenwald: You are not just misinformed, you are an enemy of humanity. @Naveed Alam Khattak: you are your worst enemy.
I agree with you.
@Ahmed: you manage to blow yourselves up quite adequately without much help. One might think the few people killed by drones would look small compared to what you do to yourselves every day. But you would prefer to blame everything on others instead of yourselves. FYI, the rest of the world thinks of you as barbarians who are doing everything they can to live in the 7th century. Since you seem to enjoy killing each other so much I cannot understand why you insist in immigrating to the UK and then demanding it become like Pakistan.
@Naveed Alam Khattak: If you seal border with Afghanistan and considering that the border with India is already sealed and that with Iran is no better, you will be left with just A few miles near KharChanai and into the sea near Karachi. Not a good situation Khattak Saheb.
Muzakrat Khan would you still persist with "muzakrat" after this tragedy and Talibaan refusing to accept country's constitution ?
@foliceupcer: Your comment is very interesting. Perhaps you could tell us more about how these health workers are secrete agents and where you got this info.
Talha Rizvi : Pl read my comments. There is nothing funny about that. If u can laugh at what I have commented, I dont know what to call your sense of humour. ET : Pl allow this as this is only a rebuttal to Talha's violent message
@Ch. Allah Daad: N govt is responsible for safety of citizens throughout the country especially Balochistan, shame that It hasn't resigned
@Chinoy: @Punjabi from other side: @vasan: @AWA: @Trying to be like Pakistani: @Naresh: @Hafiz: @Ricky: You Indians have reached a new low in making of fun of such attacks. I wonder where are Nkhatoon ad Gp65 who were denying the fact that you make fun of innocents deaths. I could say in retaliation that I will rejoice over the misfortunes of India but that will prove I'm no better then you guys. Shame on your sick mentality. The Taliban and you share the same hate and apathy for ordinary Pakistanis. May God pay you both back in the misfortunes you inflict or wish to inflict on Pakistan. It is common for humans to feel sympathy for fellow humans but it seems hate has taken you to the level of animals. Shame on you and the morons who recommended your comments.
There are no words to describe the despicable act of targeting polio workers who are only trying to save the children of the region from a debilitating disease. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the brave police officers who laid their lives protecting these polio workers. The enemy has no ethics and no values. Everyone is open target for them. Do they care about the children who may become crippled for life without polio vaccine? They do not! These enemies of the state have no respect for human lives. We need to stand united against them and defeat their ideology of death and destruction.
Abdul Quddus DET-United States Central Command,
they were terrorists not police.
Collaborator with in is the dilemma in KPK only motivated team of intelligence can bring relief to KPK.
love ttp.
I wonder why such heroic efforts are being deemed necessary when the efficacy of the polio vaccine is questionable. See below: "And when the vaccine did become available, many European countries questioned its effectiveness and refused to systematically inoculate their citizens. Yet, polio epidemics also ended in these countries." Mendelsohn R. How to Raise a Healthy Child...In Spite of Your Doctor. (Ballantine Books, 1984:231. There are substantial grounds for questioning the Salk vaccine. Serious risks are also involved: "Anyone with a life-threatening allergy to any component of IPV, including the antibiotics neomycin, streptomycin or polymyxin B, should not get polio vaccine. Tell your doctor if you have any severe allergies."(cdc.gov) I wonder if the vaccination staff is trained in the finer details before they set out for mass inoculation programs. It should be noted that Polio was eradicated in most countries of the world without such a program and in fact the vaccinations had a reverse effect in the USA. We should be taking a closer look at the whole issue of vaccinations.
Pakistan army is launching these attacks on themselves to evoke sympathy. Will they allow international investigation?
In their eagerness to get rid of the polio workers the TTP are getting rid of the Police. . Cheers
More of our brave police officers killed and maimed. Heart goes out to their families. Please take action against these extremists, even one life lost is one too many of our innocent citizens and/or hardworking people. Please, please allow common sense to reign and to rid us of this horrific menace..... No way can dialogue with hard core criminals be a solution. Their conditions are atrocious..
@Khan: How do you know that it was not the result of he drone attack?
Rex Minor
@Muhammad: for your reference
http://dawn.com/news/1047869/ttp-planning-attacks-in-peshawar-over-the-next-24-hours
In yesterdays news they said they would do this............and they did. Its not hard to figure as to who controls the narrative.
@Muhammad: Sanity is in short supply in Pakistan. I don't blame you. The gist of my comment was same as those before mine. To how many will you prescribe medication?!
Hello APC!!! Whats the latest please? Hello to PMLN and PTI too! Sleeping? hello,,,hello,,, TTP is on killing spree. Please solve this!! immediately. its 1 of 2 i.e. Action or...?
a normal day in pakistan.
Talibans are defenders of Islam . we are not against them . Polio is not halal and against Saharia.
lawless pakistan
Complete the talk process with Taliban's on earliest, and hire talibans for as polio worker members. i think this is the best solution to build trust betweek ppl and talibans
Martyred .. ET ... its called.. Martyred.
There is no other way but to shut down the border with Afghanistan completely. No Afghani should be allowed to enter Pakistan. All type of trade should be stopped immediately with Afghanistan. We are breading them and they are exploding bombs in our country. They should be completely banned like Israel. They are our worst enemy.
Taliban are freedom fighters.
They are fighting for their birth right of implementing their version of Shariat.
Budh Ber not part of peshawar city in fact at quite distance. It has border with FATA and mostly police are targeted as they are on borders.
For 65 years of exploitation, corruptions and injustices. The most corrupt system of bureaucracy, institutions, establishment and politics has brought Pakistan to such devastating circumstances.
Origin of Islam has given a new meaning to peace
These Polio affected children are drone operator in disguise
I pity the police force, ill equipped to handle these situations and monsters, yet become victims. Pak has to act, act tough,
Inna Lillahe Wa Inna Illaihe Rajioun.
The weird moment when you realize that Et has a file photo for terrorist attack. May be because it happens all the time.
PTI government is responsible for the safety and security of its people. It looks that its performance is worst than ANP government. Its a shame that it has not yet resigned.
I read it today only our brothers were going to attack! But I don't blame them, after all, it is the drone strikes, not them. Let them open their office, make them "official" so they kill us with even more impunity, said one cricketer-turned-politician at the helm of affairs in KPK (who has since been quiet after these ridiculous suggestions, by the way).
May Allah save Pakistan but Allah only helps those who want to help themselves, not those who want to shoot themselves in the head! Waiting for commentators to say why do you automatically blame our brothers for everything?! Go figure!
Lets wait for Taliban spokesperson to say: "We did not commit the act although it is according to Sharia"
Taleban is attacking polio workers as these polio agents act to uncover terrorists hiding everywhere throughout KP. These workers are unknowingly working for the west.
Savages. IK should rethink talks with people who only want to kill. If this is the type of Islam and Sharia they want to be enforced in Pakistan, I am not returning back to my homeland ever.