Mohmand Polio Team Incident: Two Policemen Killed
The Mohmand polio team incident left two policemen dead and one injured on Tuesday, after unidentified armed men fired on a vaccination team in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Mohmand district. District Police Officer Raza Muhammad Khan confirmed the deaths, and he said one attacker was also injured in the exchange.
The firing took place in the Tamanzai area, within the limits of Pandiali Police Station, during an anti-polio vaccination campaign. Police named the two policemen who died as Zahoor and Arabi, while the injured officer was named Sabir. A search operation was under way after the incident, the district police chief said.
Mohmand polio team incident draws condemnation from Naqvi
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the firing on personnel deployed on anti-polio duty, and he paid tribute to the two policemen who died. In a statement, he expressed heartfelt sympathy and condolences to their families.
“The policemen deployed to protect polio workers are striving for our healthy future,” Naqvi said. He called the incident unacceptable, and he said the elements involved in the firing do not deserve any leniency.
The minister’s response underlines the risk faced by the security teams who guard vaccination workers. Polio teams cannot reach children in troubled areas without police cover, so an attack on the escort is also an attack on the campaign itself.
A campaign under strain in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
The Mohmand firing is not an isolated event in this campaign. In Tank district, four polio workers were abducted after gunmen opened fire in the village of Jious, in the Sheikh Attar union council. The gunmen took all four workers to an undisclosed location, according to the report.
In a separate incident, two members of a polio vaccination team were abducted in the Azam Warsak area of Lower South Waziristan. Sources said armed men affiliated with the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan were allegedly involved in that kidnapping. Both workers were later released.
Readers following the Tank case can find the earlier report here: Four polio workers kidnapped in Tank. The pattern across these districts shows why the campaign needs a security plan that holds for its full run, not only on launch day.
What the November campaign covers
The incidents came amid a special anti-polio campaign that started on November 2 in 97 selected districts across the country. According to the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, the campaign will continue until November 8.
The centre also confirmed Pakistan’s seventh polio case of the year, reported from Khyber district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The affected child was a 13-month-old girl from Jan Baz Union Council in Bara tehsil. This was the second polio case reported from Khyber district this year, and the sixth from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
That case count gives the campaign its urgency. Balochistan has also started its own drive, as reported here: Balochistan begins polio drive for 2.2 million children. A wider national effort is under way too: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa polio drive targets millions of children.
For parents in Mohmand, the practical question is whether teams will still reach their streets this week. The police search operation and the minister’s statement suggest the campaign will press on, but the deaths in Tamanzai show the cost of keeping it going.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in the Mohmand polio team incident?
Unidentified armed men fired on a polio vaccination team in the Tamanzai area of Mohmand district on Tuesday. Two policemen, Zahoor and Arabi, were killed, and another officer, Sabir, was injured. One attacker was also injured, and a search operation followed.
Where exactly did the Mohmand firing take place?
The firing took place in Tamanzai, within the jurisdiction of Pandiali Police Station, during an anti-polio vaccination campaign in Mohmand district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
What did Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi say?
Naqvi condemned the firing on personnel deployed on anti-polio duty and paid tribute to the two policemen who died. He said the policemen protecting polio workers are striving for a healthy future, and he called the incident unacceptable.
Is the Mohmand incident linked to the Tank abductions?
The report presents them as separate incidents in the same campaign period. In Tank, four polio workers were abducted in Jious village, while in Lower South Waziristan two team members were abducted and later released. No link between the cases was stated.
How long does the current polio campaign run?
The special campaign started on November 2 in 97 selected districts across Pakistan, and the National Emergency Operations Centre says it will continue until November 8.
