Business Standard

Polio worker killed in Pakistan

Image

IANS Islamabad

A polio worker was killed on Wednesday when unidentified gunmen attacked a vaccination team in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

An official said the polio team were fired at as they administered polio drops to children in the Kamangara area of Nawagai tehsil near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Dawn online reported.

One worker was injured in the attack, the official added.

The attack on the polio team comes just a day after another team in Mansehra was attacked.

Two lady health workers and a policeman were killed in Tuesday's attack.

The polio team in Mansehra was vaccinating children on the second day of a three-day anti-polio drive in the district when the health workers were attacked.

 

Attempts to eradicate the disease have been badly hit by militant attacks on immunisation teams that have claimed 76 lives since December 2012.

Militants claim the polio vaccination drive is a front for espionage or a conspiracy to sterilise Muslims.

Last year, the number of polio cases recorded in Pakistan soared to 306, the highest in 14 years.

--Indo-Asian News Servcice

ksk/ab/vt

Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel

First Published: Mar 18 2015 | 2:44 PM IST

Explore News