Participants in a protest sit-in that has been ongoing for five months in Rawalakot, a city in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, have alleged that Pakistani security forces attacked peaceful, unarmed demonstrators at Umar Farooq Chowk.
According to local sources and protesters, the security forces employed heavy weaponry and heavy machine guns during the operation, reportedly leaving dozens of young people injured.
The protesters state that the forces have also taken control of the sit-in site located at the Rawalakot bus terminal, forcibly removing those who were present there.
The protesters maintain that they had been holding a peaceful sit-in for the past five months in support of their demands, and they warn that the use of force against them could further escalate the situation.
The situation in Rawalakot is reported to be tense following the incident, while further details regarding the number of injured individuals and their current condition are still awaited.
Note: The allegations regarding the operation by security forces, the use of heavy weaponry, the number of casualties, and the seizure of the bus terminal have not yet been independently verified. However, there are reports of an alleged drone strike on a house—a claim confirmed by Umar Nazir Kashmiri, a leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee—with concerns raised regarding potential fatalities.
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