According to local officials, two polio workers died in an attack in Pakistan on Saturday, March 17, 2018. Mehmood Aslman, Mohmand Agency’s political agent, told CNN that both of the male workers were shot during an inspection with two of their other co-workers by an unknown gunman.
According to CNN, “Mohmand Agency, a district in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas, borders Afghanistan in the country’s mountainous northwest region. Because of communication difficulties in the area, authorities did not learn of the attack until Sunday morning.” The attack has not been claimed by any groups.
Five other members of the team were reported missing directly after the attack. Authorities operated an expanded search. The missing team members were found.
While security personnel were searching for the five missing workers, they were attacked. A Frontier Constabulary soldier died and two others were injured.
Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan are the only countries where polio is local, according to Global Polio Eradication Initiative and World Health Organization.
In 2011, U.S. intelligence officials used a fake vaccination program was used as part of the search for Osama Bin Laden. Since then, health workers vaccinating children to prevent polio have been attacked by militants targeting anti-polio campaigns.
For several years the attacks on polio workers and police authority protecting the workers were constant. Recently, the attacks slowed because of ongoing military procedure.
Written by Jeanette Smith
Sources:
Arab News: 2 anti-polio workers killed in FATA
CNN: Two polio workers killed in attack in Pakistan
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