Bombing in Pakistan Kills 7, Targets Polio Campaign

In Mastung, Balochistan, Pakistan, a bombing targeting a polio vaccination team resulted in the deaths of at least seven people, including five schoolchildren and a police officer, with 23 others injured. The bomb, attached to a motorcycle, exploded near a police van and a rickshaw carrying schoolchildren. This attack is part of a broader militant campaign against polio vaccination efforts in Pakistan, which, along with Afghanistan, remains one of the last countries with endemic polio. No group has claimed responsibility, though separatist groups, the Pakistani Taliban, and the Baloch Liberation Army are suspected. The attack coincides with Pakistan's nationwide polio campaign to vaccinate 45 million children amid a rise in polio cases to 41 this year. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the violence and emphasized the ongoing battle against insurgent groups.