PESHAWAR:
Two policemen guarding a polio vaccination team in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district were martyred while two others sustained injuries on Tuesday after armed men opened fire at them in yet another attack on the country’s campaign targeting the crippling disease.
In the course of safeguarding the polio team, the squad came under attack, prompting a swift response from the police who retaliated against the assailants. During the exchange of fire, one of the attackers sustained injuries and sought refuge in a nearby house.
During the pursuit of the assailants, Fiazuddin and Sikander Khan, police personnel, entered the residence where an attacker had taken refuge. Unfortunately, the attacker martyred them within the premises.
As per police sources, a significant police contingent has surrounded the residence where the attacker took refuge.
The two wounded police officers have been transported to a hospital, where they are receiving medical assistance.
The incident came a day after five policemen were martyred while 27 people were injured in a blast near a police van in the Mamund tehsil of Bajaur district.
According to a senior government official in Bajaur, “A police truck transporting around 25 policemen for anti-polio drive duties was targeted by an improvised explosive device.”
The polio campaign in the area was suspended due to the blast while rescue teams in Mohmand and Lower Dir districts were put on alert.
The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had claimed responsibility for the attack.
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