Security sources say another Rangers personnel was injured as the attackers also targeted the police with automatic weapons
Rangers personnel were martyred in an attack by armed groups in Rawalakot. Photo: Express
Armed groups of the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) attacked security forces and civilians in Rawalakot, killing one Rangers personnel and injuring another, security sources said on Tuesday.
Failing to achieve their “malicious agenda”, armed groups of the banned group opened fire on a civilian area near Matial Maira Bus Terminal in Rawalakot on the morning of July 14, the sources said in a statement. The purpose of the firing was to provoke the public and revive participation in the sit-in, they added.
As police moved in to control the law and order situation after the attack, armed groups targeted policemen with automatic weapons and ammunition, the sources said, adding that Rangers personnel deployed to assist the police also reached the spot to help restore law and order.
According to the security sources, the armed groups not only opened direct fire on law enforcement personnel with modern weapons but also used improvised explosive devices. One Rangers personnel was killed and another injured in the attack, they said.
“Evidence confirms that the banned JAAC is pursuing an agenda to systematically challenge state edicts. This horrific incident has exposed the so-called peaceful struggle and the true face of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee,” experts said.
“The use of modern weapons and improvised explosive devices constitutes terrorism carried out under a well-planned strategy and has become a serious and deadly threat to the survival of ordinary people,” they added.
“The unprecedented sacrifices of the security forces show that the establishment and protection of the subpoena of the state is essential in all circumstances,” the experts further said.
“Immediate, strict and indiscriminate legal action against armed groups involved in attacks on state institutions is the urgent need of the hour,” they added.
“A decisive security operation against armed groups of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee has become inevitable to restore law and order in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and establish the writ of the state,” experts said.
Read more: Former JAAC leader calls for the long march to end
On Monday, the AJK Education Department suspended 20 serving and retired employees from Rawalakot and Sudhnoti districts for allegedly participating in the JAAC protest sit-in in Rawalakot.
The move comes as the government continues disciplinary actions against public servants linked to the protest movement.
According to official sources, the suspended employees have been accused of participating in the ongoing protest. The department has initiated disciplinary proceedings and appointed an inquiry officer from the education department to investigate the allegations and establish their veracity.
The suspended employees include 15 teachers, of whom 12 are in service and three are retired. The remaining employees consist of three peons, a laboratory technician and a clerk.
Sources said the action follows an earlier move by authorities in Rawalakot division, which has compiled a list of around 100 serving and retired government employees allegedly involved in or facilitating sit-ins organized by JAAC. The list was sent to the relevant authorities for consideration of disciplinary sanctions.
