Pakistan: Polio team targeted: 11 khasadar officials killed, 7 others injured in Jamrud blasts

The Express Tribune

Eleven khasadar officials who were providing security to a polio team were killed and seven others were injured in two separate blasts in Jamrud, Express News correspondent Yasir Ali reported on Saturday. A vehicle of a polio team in the Lashoro area of the town was targeted in the first explosion while the vehicle of the line officer of the polio team was reportedly the target of the second attack. The injured were taken to Hayatabad Medical Complex for medical assistance where emergency was declared. Polio teams have been the target of various attacks in the country. Militant groups see vaccination campaigns as a cover for espionage there are also long-running rumours about polio drops causing infertility. Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world where polio is still endemic, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria. According to the World Health Organisation, Pakistan recorded 91 cases of polio last year, up from 58 in 2012.