Police and bomb disposal squad thwarted a terror attempt aimed at attacking a polio team by defusing a bomb in Dera Ismail Khan on Monday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

According to sources, the DIK police and the BDS after getting a tip regarding a possible subversive attempt by the miscreants reached Loni area within the limits of Karachi police station. They found a bomb and defused it. They also recovered electric detonators, explosives, 3 litre petrol, dry battery cells and copper wire from there.

Sources informed that the attackers wanted to target the polio team in the DIK.

Anti-polio campaign starts across country 

An anti-polio immunization campaign has been started across the country from today in which children below five years of age will be administered polio drops.

The sub-national anti-polio campaign will be started in 70 special districts. In 61 districts, there will be a complete anti-polio campaign and in 9 districts, there will be a partial anti-polio drive. While in five districts, the government will run the campaign in eight UCs inhabiting Afghan migrants.

According to sources, the anti-polio drive will be kick-started in high risk union councils in four districts. The sub-national campaign will be carried out in two stages.

In the first stage, the immunization drive will begin from Jan 17.

In six districts of KP South including Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, DI Khan, North and South Waziristan, the campaign will continue from Jan 17-21.

In second stage, the immunization drive will start in 64 districts including Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat Division, Bajaur and Lower Dir from Jan 24-28.

The decision regarding the phased anti-polio drive was taken after the report of two polio cases presence in Bannu and Tank.

In the KP province, more than 4.476 million children below five will be administered polio drops.

Sources further revealed that the sub-national anti-polio campaign will continue for three days while there will be two catch-up days.

In catch-up days, the immunization of those children will be done who have been left without vaccination.

The federal government has taken the provinces into confidence on sub-national anti-polio campaign.

Reporter: Saba Bajeer