During a road clearance operation between Sarsawa and Tararkhel in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), armed assailants opened fire on law enforcement officials, resulting in the death of one Rangers personnel and injuries to another, the AJK police spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday.
The attack occurred while Rangers were engaged in removing blockades and reopening transportation routes. Shahnawaz, a Rangers member from Khairpur, Sindh, was fatally shot in the chest. Lance Naik Bilal sustained a shoulder injury during the incident.
In a similar incident last month, security forces faced an attack by armed members of the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) near the Matial Maira bus terminal in Rawalakot. That attack also resulted in one Rangers personnel killed and another injured.
Despite the hostile fire, the clearance operation is ongoing, with authorities determined to eliminate all blockades and fully restore traffic flow. The AJK police spokesperson emphasized that the operation will continue until all obstacles are cleared.
In a significant development, the AJK government declared JAAC a proscribed organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) on June 5, citing its involvement in terrorist activities. This ban was imposed shortly before the group planned a protest against the retention of 12 seats in the AJK assembly reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) who migrated to Pakistan after 1947.
