A policeman was martyred and an officer of frontier constabulary (FC) injured in a gun attack on a polio team in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Tank district on Saturday, an official confirmed.

       Tank District Police Officer (DPO) Sajjad Ahmed told Dawn.com that police and FC personnel were guarding the polio teams in the Chadrar area situated on main Wana Road when gunmen opened fire.

       "The gunmen, who were on a motorbike, targeted police personnel guarding the [polio] team," the DPO said, adding that Havaldar Iqbal died of bullet wounds and FC officer Ritaj Khan was injured.

       He said the gunmen managed to escape after the crime.

       Following the attack, police and other security personnel reached the area and launched a search operation to catch the assailants, DPO Ahmed said.

       He said the injured FC officer was transferred to District Headquarters Hospital Tank, while the funeral of the deceased policeman was held at police headquarters.

       The DPO said polio team members were unhurt and their security was increased after the attack, adding that police and Counter Terrorism Department have launched an investigation.

       The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued by its spokesman Mohammad Khurasani.

       If true, it would mark the TTP's first attack since the expiry of a month-long ceasefire.

       The DPO, however, said that he was unable to comment on the TTP's claim.

       Additional input from The Associated Press.