Islamabad [Pakistan], August 6 : A group of police personnel guarding escorting polio vaccination team faced an armed attack in Killi Qambrani, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Quetta on Saturday, Dawn reported.
The attack occurred during the last leg of immunisation in the region.
Notably, this was the third attack on police officials guarding polio vaccinators during the past week. The other two had claimed three lives, as per Dawn.
The police said that the police personnel survived the armed attack and the polio workers also remained safe
“Police personnel, who were guarding the polio team, were alert in the wake of Monday’s shooting on police in Nawan Killi area,” Dawn quoted a senior police officer as saying.
After coming under attack, the police guards also opened fire and one of the attackers sustained injuries but was taken away by his accomplices on motorbikes, Dawn reported.
However, there was no official confirmation in this regard, according to Dawn.
“No injured was brought to any government hospital in Quetta till late evening hours,” the officials stated.
Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langove said the government would ensure the security of polio vaccinators.
Earlier on August 1, two police personnel escorting a polio vaccination team were killed on Tuesday when armed men opened fire on them in Quetta's Nawa Killi region, Dawn reported citing police.
The attack on police personnel came on the first day of a week-long campaign to administer the polio vaccination to approximately 2.6 million children under five years of age in Balochistan.
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