Nushki polio team attack kills two police officers in Balochistan

Two police personnel assigned to protect a polio vaccination team were killed on Tuesday when unidentified armed attackers opened fire in Killi Jamalabad, an area of Noshki district in Balochistan. The slain officers were identified as Muhammad Yasir and Abdul Rauf, and the attack occurred while they were performing security duty for vaccinators during an ongoing anti-polio campaign.

Security officials said the policemen came under fire while accompanying the vaccination team. Their bodies were later shifted to Noshki Teaching Hospital. Police accounts also said the attackers took the officers' official weapons before fleeing, after which the area was cordoned off and a search operation was launched to trace those responsible.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack and expressed grief over the deaths of the two officers. He said personnel protecting vaccination teams were carrying out an important duty connected with safeguarding children and called for those responsible for the killings to be brought to justice.

Balochistan's adviser on home affairs, Babar Yousafzai, also condemned the shooting and described violence against personnel protecting polio workers as an attack on the future of children in the province. He stressed the importance of vaccination in preventing permanent disability caused by polio and said protecting health workers and their security teams remained an important responsibility.

The attack occurred during a nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign that began on September 21 and is scheduled to continue through September 27. Around 31 million children are expected to receive polio vaccine drops during the drive, with vaccination teams operating in numerous districts across the country, including areas where security escorts are required because of previous threats and attacks.

Security personnel accompanying vaccination teams have repeatedly been targeted in parts of Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Noshki has previously witnessed violence involving personnel assigned to polio duties, while separate attacks on vaccination security teams have also been reported in other districts. Such incidents have added a significant security challenge to efforts aimed at reaching children in vulnerable and remote communities.

Pakistan continues to conduct repeated vaccination rounds as part of its effort to interrupt poliovirus transmission. Door-to-door campaigns remain a central part of the eradication programme because they allow health teams to reach young children who might otherwise miss routine immunisation. Security incidents involving vaccinators or their escorts can complicate access and increase the resources required to keep campaigns operating safely.

The immediate focus in Noshki is now on identifying and apprehending the attackers while maintaining security for vaccination personnel during the remainder of the campaign. Initial reports identified the assailants only as unidentified armed men, and authorities had not announced arrests in connection with the shooting at the time of publication. The nationwide vaccination drive is scheduled to remain underway through the end of the week.