Azad Jammu and Kashmir police say 26 officers killed in JAAC protests

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) police reported that 26 of their personnel have been martyred this year amid violent clashes with supporters of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). Senior Superintendent of Police Khawar Ali Shaukat said armed attackers have taken positions in Rawalakot and that at least one Rangers member was killed while police arrested several suspects and recovered sophisticated weapons.

Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Riaz Mughal added that 157 officers were seriously injured and 629 suffered minor injuries. The confrontations, which have also affected Mirpur, follow the federal government's ban on JAAC under the Anti‑Terrorism Act after the group demanded the abolition of 12 AJK Assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian‑occupied Kashmir. Authorities warned that anti‑state elements would be dealt with "with an iron hand" and vowed to prevent any disruption of the ongoing electoral process.