Security personnel killed in attack on polio team in Nowshera

File Photo (Internet) / killed in attack on polio team in Nowshera

A police constable assigned to protect a polio vaccination team was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The attack occurred just a day after a similar incident in Swat, where another officer was killed while guarding polio workers.

The slain constable, Maqsood, died on the spot but managed to shield the polio team from harm. Following the shooting, authorities suspended the vaccination drive in the area and launched a search operation to trace the attackers.

Police and army officials attended Maqsood’s funeral, where he was laid to rest with full state honours.

Pakistan continues to face deadly resistance to its polio eradication campaign, with militants often targeting vaccination teams. The country remains one of only two in the world—alongside Afghanistan—where polio is still endemic.