Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for bomb that killed 6 police guarding anti-polio campaign

By ANWARULLAH KHAN
Associated Press

KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — A roadside bomb has exploded near a van carrying police assigned to protect workers in an anti-polio immunization campaign in restive northwestern Pakistan, killing at least six officers and wounding 10 others. Officials say the attack happened in a former Pakistani Taliban stronghold bordering Afghanistan. Police say some of the wounded officers are in critical condition. The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Anti-polio campaigns in Pakistan are regularly marred by violence. Islamic militants falsely claim they are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries in the world where polio remains endemic.