NUSHKI: Two policemen deployed to protect a polio vaccination team were martyred after unidentified armed men opened fire in Nushki district of Balochistan on Tuesday, police said.

The slain officials were identified as Yasir Ahmed and Abdul Rauf, according to Nushki City police station.

Police said the attackers opened fire on the policemen and later took away their weapons before fleeing the scene.

The incident comes as Pakistan’s nationwide anti-polio campaign is under way from September 21 to September 27, with around 31 million children expected to receive polio vaccine drops during the campaign.

Polio vaccination teams and the security personnel deployed with them have repeatedly been targeted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where militant activity has disrupted immunisation campaigns.

In May, two policemen were martyred in separate attacks targeting polio vaccination teams in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to completely eradicating polio during a meeting with a Gates Foundation delegation in Islamabad.

The prime minister said the national polio eradication programme had the support of the highest levels of government and appreciated the foundation’s role in efforts related to polio eradication, health, nutrition, financial inclusion and support for vulnerable segments of society.

Security has routinely been tightened around vaccination campaigns because of threats against polio workers and their security personnel in parts of the country.

The latest attack in Nushki has once again highlighted the security challenges faced by teams working to administer polio vaccines in high-risk areas.