BAJAUR: The death toll from the Monday’s explosion targeting a police van reached seven as another policeman succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Peshawar, an official said.

He said an FIR of the incident had also been registered against unidentified assailants.

Wali Khan, who was under treatment at Lady Reading Hospital, succumbed to his injuries on Monday night, Israr Khan, a police spokesman, told Dawn on Tuesday.

He said the cop along with nine other critically wounded personnel was admitted to the Peshawar hospital. The official said condition of three other policemen was critical.

The official said all the seven deceased were laid to rest in their native areas on Tuesday following their funeral prayers offered at the police lines ground in Khar.

Mr Khan said FIR of the Monday’s attack occurred in Billoot area of Mamond tehsil was registered at the Counter-Terrorism Department police station in Khar against unknown assailants.

The police spokesman said the ongoing investigation in to the explosion targeting a police truck carrying the personnel for security duty of polio teams, would be completed in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, the ongoing five-day anti-polio campaign remained postponed in Mamond tehsil for the second day on Tuesday.

Dr Abdur Rahman, a senior official of the local health department, told Dawn that the campaign had been postponed in both Waar and Lowi Mamond tehsils following the Monday’s incident, depriving over 70,000 children of polio drops.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2024