7 killed as Pak opens fire on POK protesters, military drones used during crackdown

At least seven civilians were reportedly killed and 23 others injured during the first two hours of the operation, between 8 am and 10 am. The reported fatalities have taken the overall death toll linked to the unrest in POK to 153 since June 7.

In Short

• Pakistani forces launched a major operation in Rawalakot against protest sites
• Seven civilians killed and 23 injured within first two hours of operation
• Drones reportedly used, striking civilian homes and protest areas

Pakistani security forces launched a major operation in Rawalakot on Thursday morning, targeting key protest sites as tensions escalated in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). The operation began around 8 am, shortly after Fajr prayers, with Pakistani Rangers and Frontier Corps personnel, backed by local police, moving against demonstrators involved in the ongoing protests.

According to reports, security forces opened fire as they moved towards the protest sites. More than 5,000 people had been staging a sit-in at the Rawalakot Bus Terminal since June 9, demanding the implementation of a 38-point charter of demands.

SEVEN KILLED IN INITIAL HOURS

At least seven civilians were reportedly killed and 23 others injured during the first two hours of the operation, between 8 am and 10 am. The reported fatalities have taken the overall death toll linked to the unrest in POK to 153 since June 7. Reports also claimed that drones were used during the operation, with civilian residential areas coming under attack. One strike reportedly destroyed the home of a local resident, Waseem Shakeel.

Clashes and confrontations continued around Omar Farooq Chowk, where thousands of protesters had gathered. Women and children were also reportedly involved in confrontations with security personnel, while mosque loudspeakers were used to call residents to the area and urge them to resist the crackdown.

JAAC leader Sardar Umar Nazir displayed what he described as recovered "bomb fragments" in Rawalakot following a reported drone strike on civilian homes and protest sites.

Nazir alleged that drone attacks were being launched from multiple directions around the protest camps and said the situation was continuing to deteriorate. He appealed to residents to travel to Rawalakot and urged Kashmiris living overseas to speak out against what he described as attacks on peaceful protesters.

WHAT IS BEHIND THE RAWALAKOT PROTESTS?

The latest operation comes after months of unrest linked to the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has led protests over political representation, economic rights and the implementation of commitments made by the authorities.

The movement has accused Pakistani authorities of using excessive force against its supporters. Pakistani officials, however, have previously accused the JAAC and its supporters of engaging in violence and attacking security personnel.

The confrontation has turned deadly before. In July, clashes between security forces and JAAC supporters left nine people dead, according to Reuters, which cited officials. The violence erupted amid tensions over a planned JAAC march and opposition to electoral arrangements in the region.

The Pakistani authorities also banned the JAAC under anti-terrorism laws in June.

The continuing unrest has been accompanied by restrictions on communications in the region, making it difficult to independently verify reports emerging from the affected areas.

That has also created a widening information gap between accounts from protesters and those provided by authorities. While protesters have accused security forces of launching a violent crackdown, officials have previously alleged that the movement's supporters were involved in attacks on security personnel.

- Ends