RAWALAKOT: Four law enforcement personnel were martyred and more than 20 police and security officials injured after activists of the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) allegedly opened fire on security forces in Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), police said on Monday.
An AJK police spokesperson said members of the proscribed organisation deliberately targeted law enforcement personnel during the incident, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries.
“Four personnel embraced martyrdom, while over 20 police and security officials sustained injuries,” the spokesperson said, condemning the attack.
The incident occurred days after the AJK government declared the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee a proscribed organisation under anti-terrorism laws ahead of its planned protest scheduled for June 9.
The group has previously organized demonstrations over economic and political issues, some of which turned violent and resulted in fatalities during clashes with security forces in May 2024 and September 2025.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry accused the banned organisation of attempting to create unrest despite the government having accepted most of its demands.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside AJK political leaders, the minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had established a high-level committee to negotiate with the group and formed a monitoring mechanism to oversee implementation of agreed measures.
Chaudhry said the government had fulfilled commitments made under previous agreements, including compensation for families of those killed and injured during earlier protests and the withdrawal of 170 cases registered against demonstrators.
Despite these measures, he said, the banned group had again announced protest activities.
The minister also alleged that efforts were being made to disrupt the democratic process in AJK, adding that constitutional matters, including the 12 refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly, could only be addressed through legislation.
Security remained heightened across the region following the attack, while authorities continued to monitor the situation.