Pakistani gunmen attack police guarding polio team, 1 killed

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Gunmen attacked 2 constabulary providing information for polio vaccination workers successful northwest Pakistan, shooting and sidesplitting 1 and wounding the other, officials said Saturday.

Mohammad Khurasani, spokesperson for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, known arsenic the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility. It was the archetypal onslaught since the TTP connected Friday announced the extremity of a one-month cease-fire with the government. The truce had been announced successful November amid bid talks betwixt the 2 sides.

The battle took spot successful the territory of Tank successful Khyber Pakhtunkhwa state connected the 2nd time of a five-day anti-polio thrust to vaccinate 6.5 cardinal children successful the province, according to Aimal Khan, a spokesperson for the vaccination campaign.

Police serviceman Sajjad Ahmed said 2 gunmen riding a motorcycle opened occurrence connected the constabulary squad escorting polio vaccinators successful the Chaddarah country sidesplitting 1 constable connected the spot and critically wounding a Frontier Constabulary serviceman but members of the vaccination squad were unhurt.

Pakistani militants often people polio teams and constabulary assigned to support them claiming the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.

Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the lone 2 remaining countries successful the satellite wherever polio is endemic aft Nigeria was past twelvemonth declared escaped of the virus.