Policeman Guarding Polio Team Shot Dead in KP’s Bajaur

On February 19, 2025, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwas Bajaur district, a police officer guarding a polio vaccination team was fatally shot by two assailants on a motorcycle. The polio workers were unharmed, and the immunization campaign continues, except at the incident site. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio is endemic. In 2024, Pakistan reported at least 73 polio cases, a significant increase from six in 2023. Militants have historically targeted polio teams and their security escorts, partly due to mistrust stemming from a 2011 fake vaccination campaign by the CIA to locate Osama bin Laden.