Gunmen in northwest Pakistan killed two police officers protecting polio vaccination workers on Monday, a security official said.

The attacks happened on the first day of a week-long nationwide campaign targeting rising polio cases. Pakistan is one of only two countries, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic.

How many police and polio workers have been killed in Pakistan?

Militants have killed hundreds of police officers and health workers in Pakistan over the past decade.

The killings are part of a broader campaign against the Pakistani state, with security personnel guarding vaccination teams among the most frequently targeted.

Attacks have been recorded repeatedly across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its tribal districts.

Where did the latest attacks on polio vaccination teams happen?

Two police officers guarding vaccination teams were shot dead by motorcycle-riding militants in the tribal district of Bajaur, according to a senior security official based in Peshawar.

The attacks occurred in two separate incidents. Two more police officers performing routine duties were also killed in Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan on the same day.

What is the scope of Pakistan’s current polio vaccination campaign?

Pakistan launched a week-long polio vaccination drive across 79 high-risk districts on Monday, targeting more than 19 million children. The campaign aims to counter a rise in polio cases by administering oral vaccine drops.

Polio is a highly infectious virus that primarily affects children under five and can cause lifelong paralysis, though it is preventable through vaccination.

Why do militants target polio vaccination teams in Pakistan?

A significant amount of misinformation about the polio vaccine circulates in rural Pakistan, including a false claim that it is a CIA plot to prevent Muslims from having children.

Militants have exploited this narrative to justify attacks on health workers and their police escorts.

The persistent violence has made Pakistan one of the most dangerous countries in the world for polio eradication workers.