A policeman was killed and a polio worker injured when unidentified gunmen attacked a polio team in Banda Daud Shah tehsil of Karak district on Monday.
The attack took place in the Shakarkhel area of Teri police precincts, where gunmen on motorcycles opened fire during an ongoing anti-polio campaign.
Kohat DIG reported that the deceased policeman, identified as Irfan, was providing security for the polio team. He died at the scene, while the injured polio worker was taken to Peshawar for treatment.
Following the incident, rescue officials moved the policeman’s body to the District Headquarters Hospital for a postmortem. Police initiated a search operation to find the attackers.
Despite the attack, Karak Deputy Commissioner Shakeel Marwat confirmed that the polio campaign would continue to immunize children under five district-wide.
In a related incident in neighboring Bannu, a polio worker named Hayatullah was shot and injured in the Saddar police precincts. Authorities transported him to the hospital, noting that Hayatullah and his family had a history of enmity.
The assailants escaped, police stated, as Bannu launched a five-day polio campaign under strict security. Over 2,500 police officers were deployed to ensure the campaign’s smooth execution.
During the anti-polio campaign, the deputy commissioner has enforced Section 144 for seven days throughout the district, prohibiting motorcycle pillion riding, displaying weapons, and using tinted windows in vehicles.
