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Levies Constable Martyred Guarding Polio Team in Swat Attack
A Levies constable was martyred while protecting a polio team in Swat. The attack came a day after Pakistan launched a nationwide campaign to vaccinate 45 million children. Authorities have launched a search operation to arrest the culprits.
MH
by Muhammad Hashir
2025-10-14
Levies Constable Martyred Guarding Polio Team in Swat Attack

A Levies constable deployed for the security of a polio vaccination team was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district on Tuesday, police confirmed.

The attack took place just a day after the government launched a nationwide polio eradication campaign targeting over 45 million children across the country. Special security measures had been implemented, with 285 police and Levies personnel deployed nationwide to safeguard vaccination teams.

According to Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Umar Khan, the slain constable was providing security to a team of two female health workers who were administering vaccines inside a house when gunmen opened fire.

“The constable was standing guard outside when the attackers ambushed him. The assailants fled the scene after the shooting,” the DPO said.

He added that police and law enforcement agencies had reached the area and launched an investigation.

“The area has been cordoned off, and a search operation is underway to arrest the culprits. No anti-state elements will be allowed to sabotage peace in Swat,” Khan asserted.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the attack and paid tribute to the martyred official.

“The assailants who fired on the team that was securing the future of children do not deserve any concession,” the minister said, expressing condolences to the bereaved family.

Pakistan’s polio vaccinators, who go door-to-door to inoculate children, have long been targeted by militants, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In 2024 alone, at least 20 people were killed and 53 injured during polio campaigns in KP.

Recent data showed a decline in vaccine refusals in the province, though some areas such as Lowi Mamund tehsil continued to boycott immunisation drives.

Earlier this year, similar incidents were reported in Noshki (Balochistan) and Bajaur (KP), where policemen guarding polio teams were martyred in separate gun attacks.

Despite these challenges, Pakistan continues to battle to eliminate the crippling disease. The country and Afghanistan remain the only two nations where polio is still endemic. Security threats, misinformation, and vaccine hesitancy remain major obstacles to achieving eradication.

No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, but the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has previously targeted vaccination workers, spreading false propaganda that the campaigns are part of a Western conspiracy.

Authorities have vowed to continue the immunisation drive and bring those responsible for the Swat attack to justice.
Tagged:

Swat

KhyberPakhtunkhwa

PolioEradication

Levies
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