BAJAUR, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA—A polio worker and a policeman were tragically killed during an assault by unidentified gunmen on a polio vaccination team in the Salarzai area of Bajaur district, northwest Pakistan.

According to police officials, unknown assailants on a motorcycle targeted the team on Wednesday, leading to immediate fatalities. The police have reported that the attackers managed to flee the scene, prompting an ongoing search operation aimed at apprehending the culprits. Following the incident, polio vaccination efforts in the area have been temporarily suspended.

The attack occurred in the context of a broader week-long polio vaccination campaign that started in the district on Monday, targeting children up to five years old. This incident marks the second attack on anti-polio teams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province within the week. On Tuesday, a vehicle transporting polio workers and policemen was hit by a bomb blast in South Waziristan district, injuring at least six individuals.

Pakistan, alongside Afghanistan, remains one of the only two polio-endemic countries globally. This year alone, the country has reported 17 polio cases, underlining the challenges faced by health workers in eradicating the disease amid security threats.