iRAWALAKOT: At least three civilians were reportedly killed and 18 others injured early Thursday when security forces launched a major crackdown on protest camps maintained by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Rawalakot, a city in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, triggering fresh tensions across the region.
The operation began around 6.00 AM at several protest sites, including the Matiyal Mara bus terminal and D-Chowk, where demonstrators have maintained a continuous sit-in since June 5, demanding political and administrative reforms.
JAAC representatives accused security forces of using drones and heavy weapons against protesters, while police maintained that armed individuals opened fire on law enforcement personnel attempting to remove barricades and restore public access.
The conflicting accounts could not be independently verified. Police have not confirmed the reported civilian death toll.
According to JAAC sources, the three people reportedly killed during the operation at D-Chowk were identified as Ehtisham, Atif Noor and Adil Rashid.
Ehtisham and Atif Noor were residents of Chamba Nar, while Adil Rashid belonged to Mang Mor, both in the Rawalakot area.
The committee also released a preliminary list identifying 18 people reportedly injured during the crackdown.
They were named as Qamar Kafeel, Usman, Waqar Shakeel, Anas Amin, Siyam Amjad, Ijaz Khan, Waqas Riaz, Bilal Mahmood, Ahsan Tariq, Sufyan, Abdullah, Ehtisham Muhammad, Bilal, Kamran Rashid, Yarira, Waseem Sadiq, Irfan and Zain Khurshid.
The injured were reported to be residents of several localities, including Tarar Hussain Kot, Banjosa, Jandali, Hajira, Khaigala, Chiroti Dareek, Rairh Ban, Namnota, Chhota Gala, Dhamni, Mirpur, Chak Barmang, Tarar, Shamsabad and Devi Gali.
Media outlet Kashgil News earlier quoted local journalist Ajmal Shaheen as saying that five civilians have reportedly been killed, rather than the three initially identified.
But JAAC has confirmed only three deaths so far.
A video of the burning houses in Rawalakot was shared on the X @iamsardarsohaid
The report identifies a fourth victim as Ahsan Tariq of Nanota, while the fifth victim remains unidentified. Ahsan Tariq had appeared on JAAC's initial list of injured persons. The revised casualty figure has not been independently confirmed.
Neither the identities nor the total number of casualties could be independently established.
JAAC core committee member Umar Nazir accused security forces of surrounding the protest camps from several directions and launching attacks using drones.
He said protesters had been subjected to what he described as warlike conditions, with drone attacks continuing for two to three hours.
According to committee activists, security personnel advanced towards the protest camps from multiple directions before taking positions around the gathering points.
Residents reported hearing intense gunfire and explosions that could be heard several kilometres away. Some claimed that the force of the explosions caused tremors in surrounding neighbourhoods.
Reports also emerged of a residential house catching fire near the bus terminal.
Initial accounts attributed the fire to either a mortar shell or a drone strike. Social media accounts associated with JAAC claimed that four children had died in the incident.
However, there was no independent confirmation of the reported deaths of the children, the cause of the fire or the alleged use of drones and mortar shells.
Disruption of mobile phone services around the bus terminal further complicated efforts to contact residents and establish the sequence of events.
Police Blame Armed Protesters
In a statement issued by the spokesperson for the Deputy Inspector General of Police in the Poonch region, authorities said the operation was undertaken to remove illegal obstructions from public roads near the bus terminal and restore freedom of movement.
Police alleged that armed individuals opened indiscriminate fire on law enforcement personnel during the operation, prompting a response.
The statement acknowledged reports of injuries among police personnel and those it described as armed individuals but provided no confirmed casualty figures.
Police also linked the operation to an earlier incident involving Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Akram of Sudhnoti district.
According to the police account, the judge had been stopped while travelling through the area several days earlier and allegedly held unlawfully.
The police spokesperson accused social media users of circulating misleading information intended to create fear and panic.
Authorities urged residents not to rely on unverified reports and to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in restoring normal life.
The statement did not address JAAC's specific allegations concerning drone strikes or the reported civilian deaths.
Restrictions Imposed
Following the operation, the district administration imposed Section 144, restricting public gatherings and movement in the city.
Announcements from local mosques instructed residents to remain indoors and warned against gatherings of five or more people.
The restrictions came amid reports that mosques in areas supporting JAAC had earlier called on residents to assemble at the D-Chowk protest site.
The competing announcements reflected the tense atmosphere prevailing across Rawalakot as authorities attempted to regain control of public spaces.
News of the reported killings prompted demonstrations in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Students gathered at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Upper Adda, protesting the security operation and demanding accountability for the reported deaths.
Demonstrators raised slogans against security forces, including accusations that uniformed personnel were responsible for violence against civilians.
The protests indicated that the confrontation in Rawalakot could have repercussions beyond the Poonch region.
Thursday's operation marked a serious escalation in the confrontation between the authorities and JAAC, whose protest camps have remained in place since June 5.
The movement, now in its sixth month, has challenged the administration over governance, public grievances and restrictions on protest activities.
Despite the prolonged sit-ins, the authorities and protest leaders have failed to reach an agreement capable of ending the confrontation.
The latest violence has heightened concerns over the use of force against civilian demonstrators and the possibility of further unrest.
With conflicting accounts of the casualties, alleged drone attacks and the fire at the bus terminal, the circumstances surrounding the operation remain disputed.
JAAC activists have demanded accountability, while police insist that their operation was aimed at restoring public access and maintaining law and order.
The reported deaths and injuries have intensified calls for an independent investigation into the operation and the conduct of security personnel.
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