RAWALAKOT: Armed groups belonging to the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) attacked security forces and civilians in Rawalakot, killing one Rangers personnel and injuring another, according to security sources on Tuesday.
The sources said the armed groups launched the attack after failing to achieve their “nefarious agenda”. They opened fire on a civilian area near the Matial Maira Bus Terminal in Rawalakot on the morning of July 14 with the alleged aim of provoking the public and reviving participation in the ongoing sit-in.
Following the firing, police moved to the area to restore law and order. Security sources said the armed groups then targeted police personnel with automatic weapons and ammunition. Rangers personnel deployed to assist the police also reached the site to help control the situation.
According to the sources, the attackers not only opened direct fire on law enforcement personnel using modern weapons but also employed improvised explosive devices (IEDs). During the attack, one Rangers personnel was martyred while another sustained injuries.
Security sources said the incident showed that the banned JAAC was pursuing an agenda of systematically challenging the writ of the state. They claimed the attack had exposed what they described as the group’s “true face”, despite its claims of pursuing a peaceful movement.
The sources further said the use of modern weapons and IEDs amounted to terrorism carried out under a well-planned strategy and posed a serious threat to the lives of ordinary citizens.
They added that the sacrifices made by the security forces underscored the importance of maintaining the state’s writ under all circumstances. The sources also called for immediate, strict and indiscriminate legal action against armed groups involved in attacks on state institutions.
According to the security sources, a decisive security operation against armed groups of the banned JAAC had become necessary to restore law and order in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and re-establish the writ of the state.
Separately, on Monday, the AJK Education Department suspended 20 serving and retired employees from the districts of Rawalakot and Sudhnoti for allegedly participating in the JAAC protest sit-in in Rawalakot.
The suspensions come as the government continues disciplinary action against public servants linked to the protest movement. Official sources said the employees had been accused of taking part in the ongoing protest, while the department had initiated disciplinary proceedings and appointed an inquiry officer from within the Education Department to investigate the allegations.
The suspended employees include 15 teachers, of whom 12 are serving and three are retired. The remaining five comprise three peons, one laboratory assistant and one clerk.
Sources said the action followed an earlier move by the authorities in the Rawalakot Division, who compiled a list of around 100 serving and retired government employees allegedly involved in, or facilitating, JAAC-organised sit-ins. The list has been forwarded to the relevant authorities for consideration of further disciplinary action.