# 7402
The carnage in Pakistan continues, with twin attacks yesterday in the southwest – including an assault on a hospital – claiming at least 25 lives, and today, reports of two more anti-polio workers murdered in northwest Pakistan.
This from the Associated Press:
Gunmen in Pakistan kill 2 anti-polio workers
Sunday, 16 June 2013
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistani police say gunmen have killed two anti-polio workers in northwest Pakistan.
Swabi District Police Chief Mohammad Saeed says the two Pakistani health workers were killed Sunday while on a vaccination drive in Kandar village.He says gunmen arrived on foot and later disappeared.
AFP is carrying a similar report, although they report the gunmen rode a motorbike. In either event, this is just the latest in a series of deadly attacks on anti-polio workers in Pakistan.
Over the past 6 months we’ve seen horrific coordinated attacks made against aid workers, either involved with or associated with the Polio Vaccination drives in Pakistan.
The first attack (see Pakistan: 6 Polio Workers Murdered) was reported on December 18th, the next day (see Pakistan: Fresh Attacks On WHO/UNICEF Polio Workers) we learned of 3 more deaths, and on January 1st the headlines read : 7 More Aid Workers Killed In Pakistan.
Since then, additional attacks have occurred, often resulting in temporary suspension of their vaccination efforts. Pakistan is one of 3 countries where the polio virus is still endemic (the others being Afghanistan and Nigeria).
The Pakistan attacks appear related to the Taliban’s condemnation of polio immunization campaigns after the use of a sham hepatitis vaccination campaign as a CIA cover in the pursuit of Osama Bin Laden (see Maryn McKenna’s Update: Pakistan, Polio, Fake Vaccines And The CIA).
