LANDI KOTAL, March 6: Unidentified armed persons thrashed a member of a polio vaccination team in Landi Kotal on Wednesday and threatened the health workers to stay away from anti-polio drive in the area.

Agency Surgeon Dr Samin told Dawn that a group of armed men intercepted four members of a vaccination team in Peerokhel area and started beating one of the health workers identified as Adnan Khan.

The armed persons also snatched kits from the vaccinators.

The health workers were also threatened to stop taking part in the vaccination campaign.

Health officials have constituted 125 teams to carry out the ongoing anti-polio campaign in Landi Kotal tehsil.

Health workers said that they were not provided Khasadar escort during the campaign.

The officials of the local administration visited the site of the incident while the Khasadar Force conducted a search operation in the area but no arrests were made.

Dr Samin said that vaccination campaign would continue in the area. He said that though the three-day campaign was completed but a ‘catch-up day’ would be observed to cover the missed children in some parts of Landi Kotal. The incident was the first of its kind in Landi Kotal.

A bomb blast had damaged a store where polio vaccines were kept at civil hospital in Jamrud on Tuesday. The blast also injured a lady health worker.