Two Levies personnel guarding a polio vaccination team were gunned down on Wednesday by unidentified attackers in Balochistan’s Mastung district, according to an official.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries where polio remains endemic, and vaccination teams are frequently targeted by militants waging a campaign against security forces.
“The unfortunate incident occurred in the Teeri area of Mastung where Levies personnel assigned to guard a polio vaccination team were attacked,” Mastung Assistant Commissioner Akram Harifal told Dawn.com.
“While one of the personnel died on the scene, the other succumbed to his injuries while he was being shifted to the Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Memorial Hospital,” he added.
AC Harifal also said that he reached the scene as soon as he received the information about the incident, adding that the police and other law enforcement officials were already present there and collecting evidence.
He added that security for the polio vaccination teams has been increased after the attack.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the terrorist attack on the polio vaccination team, state-media Radio Pakistan reported.
While expressing sorrow over the martyrdom of the Levies personnel, he said, “[The] terrorists who harm the lives and properties of innocent people are enemies of humanity and will be brought to justice.”
The premier said that such incidents cannot deter the government’s commitment to eradicating polio from the country. He said that the public must not lose hope, and they should protect their children’s future by ensuring vaccination. He affirmed that the anti-polio campaign will continue with determination.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind also condemned the incident saying that “a thorough investigation into the incident was under way”.
“The provincial government will not allow the polio campaign to be sabotaged under any circumstances,” he continued.
“We pay tribute to the martyrs who are responsible for security. We are proud of their sacrifices,” he added. He further said that the security for polio teams across the province was being improved with more effective measures.
PM Shehbaz on Sunday launched this year’s second nationwide anti-polio campaign, running from April 21 to April 27, and vowed to achieve “roaring success” in the effort.
Earlier this week, terrorists attacked the station house officer and police team who were on polio duty in the Kalosha area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan.
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