A police officer was martyred and an activist killed in an exchange of fire in the southern Khyber-Pakhtunkwa district on Monday in the southern Waziristan district.
According to the police, the incident occurred while the constable was in service as part of the security agreements for the current national anti-poolio campaign.
Unidentified attackers opened fire in the security team, causing a reprisal response in which an attacker was killed.
The authorities have recovered several weapons and objects from the deceased activist, including a rocket launcher, a machine gun, two motorcycles, a national identity card, three ATM cards and a smartphone.
The attack occurs one day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the second eradication campaign for the national polio of 2025, which should take place from April 21 to 27.
Polio workers and their safety escorts have often been attacked, especially in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balutchistan. In 2024, at least 20 people were killed and 53 injured in similar incidents during polio vaccination training in KP.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio remains endemic.
