Snipers Target Unarmed Protesters In PoK As 35 Dead In Brutal Rawalakot Crackdown | Exclusive
Snipers Target Unarmed Protesters In PoK As 35 Dead In Brutal Rawalakot Crackdown | Exclusive Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 17:53
Snipers Target Unarmed Protesters In PoK As 35 Dead In Brutal Rawalakot Crackdown | Exclusive Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 17:53 IST Rawalkot protest organisers have levelled a series of allegations, including sniper attacks, civilian deaths and an escalating crackdown, during the ongoing Rawalakot Long March. Rawalkot protestors claimed that more than 35 people, most of them young people and children, were killed during the first two days of the protests. Protest organisers involved in the ongoing Long March in Rawalakot have alleged an intensified crackdown by security forces, claiming that unarmed demonstrators are being targeted by snipers positioned on surrounding rooftops. According to the organisers, demonstrators carrying peace flags have been seeking safe passage while fearing a large-scale operation at the protest site. They further alleged that security personnel have been carrying out targeted “headshots" on unarmed citizens. The organisers also claimed that, during the night, snipers targeted the lights from mobile phones in an attempt to spread fear and panic among people gathered at the protest site.
“Whenever our unarmed civilians move forward, they become targets of gunfire. Most of the people who were killed yesterday suffered gunshot wounds to the head—what is commonly called headshots. We had only seen such things in video games; we never imagined these oppressors would do this to us," said one organiser. “There are fears that a large-scale operation may be carried out in Rawalakot, and that everyone present at Neel Chowk and the surrounding areas could be killed. These concerns are widespread. Even during the night, they continue firing at regular intervals, spreading fear and panic among the public," he added. Addressing allegations made against the movement, protest speakers rejected claims describing them as members of “banned outfits" or “RAW agents". They accused authorities of creating false narratives to discredit the movement and deny people their basic rights. The organisers further claimed that more than 35 people, most of them young people and children, were killed during the first two days of the protests.
They also alleged that a curfew has been imposed in Mirpur. They said women across different parts of Kashmir have joined protests over the past three days against what they described as state brutality and violence. Calling for greater international attention, the organisers urged foreign journalists to report from the ground and present what they described as the actual situation. They also appealed for sustained public protests, arguing that online expressions of solidarity alone would not be enough. What’s Happening In Pakistan? The current unrest centres around the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a political and civil rights movement that has organised protests and a Long March from Rawalakot towards Muzaffarabad. The movement initially focused on economic issues such as electricity prices, wheat subsidies and governance. More recently, it expanded its demands to include political reforms, particularly the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan, which protesters say allows Islamabad to influence regional politics.
The BriefWire