A police officer travelling to guard polio vaccinators was martyred in Khyber District on Monday, on the first day of a nationwide immunisation effort after a year of rising cases. Police said that the remaining anti-polio team personnel were safe in the shooting incident. The police officer was guarding the polio vaccinators in the area of Jamrud in Khyber district when he was shot dead, local police official Zarmat Khan told AFP. “Two motorcycle riders opened fire on him,” he said, adding “The constable died instantly at the scene.” Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are the only countries where polio is endemic and militants have for decades targeted vaccination teams and their security escorts. Pakistan reported at least 73 polio infections in 2024, a significant increase compared to just six cases in 2023. The vaccination campaign which started on Monday is the first of the year and is due to last a week. “Despite the incident, the polio vaccination drive in the area remains ongoing,” Zarmat Khan said. Abdul Hameed Afridi, another senior police official in the area, also confirmed details of the attack and said officers have “launched an investigation”. No group immediately claimed responsibility, however Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — which neighbours Afghanistan — is a hive of militant activity. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the attack on the polio team in Jamrud in which a police constable was martyred.