Gunmen attack police guarding polio workers in Hangu; one cop martyred, four injured

PESHAWAR: A police official was martyred and four others wounded on Monday when militants opened fire on a police vehicle assigned to protect a polio vaccination team in Hangu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The attack took place in the Chapri Wazira area of Hangu district’s Thall tehsil on the first day of a nationwide anti-polio campaign running from April 13 to 19.

District police said that the gunmen launched a sudden attack on the police party, martyring Constable Israrul Haq and injuring four other personnel. The wounded were shifted to a nearby hospital.

Police returned fire and two militants were believed to have been killed, although their accomplices removed the bodies from the scene.

According to police, an exchange of fire was ongoing, and additional reinforcements had been deployed to the area.

Kohat Deputy Inspector General Irfan Tariq praised the police response, saying officials acted with bravery to thwart the attack and that the assailants would be pursued.

A search operation was launched following the incident, while security in the area was placed on high alert.

Regional police officials said that the polio vaccination campaign in Hangu would continue despite the attack, adding that such incidents would not undermine public resolve.

Separately, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the attack and sought a report from the provincial police chief.

Polio workers and the security personnel assigned to protect them are frequently targeted by militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where polio is still endemic, with eradication efforts hampered by security challenges, vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.