Polio worker gunned down in Bajaur Agency

According to details, unidentified gunmen opened fire on polio workers in the tribal district of Bajaur, killing one while left another injured.

The deceased polio worker was identified as Ruhullah.

Assistant Political Agent (APA) Fayaz-ul-Haq Sherpao confirmed the incident by saying “A polio worker was shot dead while another sustained injuries when they were fired upon while administering polio drops in Khamangra neighbourhood of Nawagai area in Bajaur tribal district.”

The attack was confirmed by another senior administration official, Sohail Ahmed Khan. It brings to 78 the number killed in attacks on immunization teams since December 2012.

Taliban militants have long claimed the polio vaccination drive is a front for espionage or a conspiracy to sterilize Muslims.

They intensified their strikes after the CIA recruited a doctor to carry out a fake immunization drive to help track down Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.

Last year the number of polio cases recorded in Pakistan soared to 306, the highest in 14 years.

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