Islamabad, Jun 1 (IANS): A Pakistani soldier was killed in firing by unknown terrorists in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an Army statement said.

The incident happened in North Waziristan district where the terrorists attempted to disrupt the ongoing polio eradication campaign by firing on the members of the polio team, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Wednesday in the statement.

"Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," the statement added.

A five-day anti-polio drive in 12 districts of the province kicked off on Monday, with an aim to administer vaccines to more than 3.5 million children under five years of age, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to a recent report from the WHO, all the new polio cases reported in Pakistan since January 2021 are from seven polio-endemic districts in the southern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.