3 killed, 18 injured as Pakistani forces target Rawalakot protests

At least three civilians were reportedly killed and 18 others injured after Pakistani security forces launched a crackdown on protest camps maintained by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Rawalakot in on Thursday.

The operation began around 6 am at several protest sites, including the Matiyal Mara bus terminal and D-Chowk, where demonstrators had been staging a continuous sit-in since June 5, demanding political and administrative reforms.

The JAAC accused security forces of using drones and heavy weapons against protesters, alleging that personnel surrounded the protest camps from several directions and launched attacks. Committee representatives claimed that drone attacks continued for two to three hours.

The three people reportedly killed were identified as Ehtisham, Atif Noor and Adil Rashid. The committee also released a preliminary list of 18 injured people. However, the casualty figures and circumstances of the violence could not be independently verified.

Police, meanwhile, offered a contrasting account, alleging that armed individuals opened fire on law enforcement personnel during an operation to remove barricades and restore public access to roads near the bus terminal. They said the police retaliated after coming under fire.

Authorities linked the operation to an earlier incident in which Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Akram of Sudhnoti district was allegedly stopped and unlawfully detained while travelling through the area.

Following the operation, the district administration imposed Section 144, restricting public gatherings and movement. Residents were also advised through mosque announcements to remain indoors.

The reported killings triggered protests in Muzaffarabad, where students gathered at the University and Upper Adda.

The confrontation marks a fresh escalation in the months-long standoff between the authorities and the JAAC, whose protest movement has raised demands relating to governance, public grievances and political and administrative reforms.