Islamabad: As many as 12 people, including eight protesters and four security personnel, were killed as clashes erupted between the members of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and the law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot city of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), local media reported Tuesday.
Sardar Waheed Khan, the Commissioner of Poonch district in PoK, stated that 12 people were killed and several security officials were injured. He claimed that members of JAAC targetted the security forces’ personnel and the miscreants possessed modern weapons and tried to disrupt law and order in the area, Pakistani daily ‘The News International’ reported.
After the incident, strict security arrangements have been put in place in PoJK and authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation. Meanwhile, PoJK Inspector General of Police spokesperson said that four law enforcement personnel were killed and over 20 police and security officials sustained injuries in the clash.
The clashes have been reported days after the PoJK government declared JAAC a proscribed group under anti-terrorism laws ahead of its planned protest June 9. The JAAC had previously also held protests in PoK over economic issues and political rights. Some of those protests turned violent and caused fatalities during clashes with the law enforcement personnel in May 2024 and September 2025, The News International reported.
Rawalakot has become the epicentre of a widening wave of protests across PoK after authorities launched a crackdown on activists linked to the JAAC, a report stated
Citing local activists and members of the movement, the ‘European Times’ reported that tensions in PoK intensified after authorities designated the JAAC as a banned organisation and rolled out a series of security measures ahead of its planned Long March June 9. The protesting leaders also alleged that internet services across PoK had been suspended since the night of June 5, severely disrupting communication throughout the region.
According to the report, public outrage intensified following reports that Shahzaib Habib and Amjid Kashmiri, both JAAC members, lost their lives during confrontations tied to the ongoing demonstrations. It added that their deaths have become a focal point of the movement, with protesters accusing security forces of using excessive force against peaceful protesters.
Reports from various parts of PoK suggest that the protest movement has expanded beyond Rawalakot, with demonstrations and shutter-down strikes reported in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Tata Pani, and Plandari. In Plandari, local activists reportedly blocked key access routes as part of the widening agitation.
The report highlighted that the worsening situation in PoK has drawn strong reactions from the Kashmiri diaspora, with solidarity demonstrations held in the United Kingdom and concerns over human rights conditions in the region raised at international forums in the United States and Australia.
“As Rawalakot remains at the centre of the unfolding crisis, the coming days are expected to be critical. With the Long March approaching and public anger continuing to grow, the situation in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir appears poised to remain a major flashpoint, drawing increasing regional and international attention,” the European Times noted.
