Two Levies personnel were killed in a targeted attack by unidentified gunmen while guarding a polio vaccination team in the Killi Teri area of Mastung district, Balochistan on Wednesday.
According to official sources, the assailants opened fire on the personnel, identified as Nek Muhammad and Maqsood Ahmed, who were deployed for the protection of the polio team. Nek Muhammad died on the spot, while Maqsood Ahmed, who was critically injured, succumbed to his wounds at a nearby hospital.
The ongoing anti-polio campaign in the region has been suspended after the incident. Pakistani forces have cordoned off the area, and an investigation into the attack has been launched. However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan has witnessed repeated attacks on polio teams and their security escorts in recent years. Religious extremists often target such campaigns, falsely accusing them of being Western conspiracies. Balochistan, particularly areas like Quetta, Chaman, and Mastung, has seen several deadly assaults on polio workers, often claimed by religious extremist groups.
This incident marks the second major attack on security forces in Mastung this month. On April 15, three policemen were killed and 19 others injured in a bomb blast targeting a Balochistan Constabulary vehicle on Dasht Road. The Islamic State’s Pakistan Province (ISPP), also known as “Daesh,” claimed responsibility for the previous attack.