Two policemen were martyred in an attack upon anti-polio team administrating polio vaccine in Lower Dir. Some unknown armed masked men opened fire at anti-polio team administrating vaccine in Lal Qilla area of Lower Dir.
According to the police, the incident took place at the Rehnai pull area. The martyred policemen were deployed for the security in the ongoing polio vaccination campaign.
The two officers were killed while on their way to accompany a polio vaccination team in the Lower Dir district, about 180 kilometres (112 miles) northwest of the capital Islamabad, early on Wednesday, local police official Faridullah told Al Jazeera by telephone.
Pakistan is one of three remaining polio-endemic countries in the world, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund. The country is being assisted by the UN organization and private donors to eradicate the disease.
On receiving the information, police have cordoned off the area and are conducting raids to arrest the suspects. They say no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
He said a search operation had begun to find those responsible for the deaths. “According to initial reports, the suspects managed to escape from the scene,” he added.
