At least three people were reported killed and 18 injured early on Thursday 5 November 2026 when security forces launched a major crackdown on protest camps maintained by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Rawalakot, a city in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir. The operation began at around 6.00am at several protest sites, including the Matiyal Mara bus terminal and D-Chowk, where demonstrators have maintained a sit-in since 5 June, demanding political and administrative reforms.

JAAC accused security forces of using drones and heavy weapons, while police said armed individuals opened fire on officers removing barricades. The accounts could not be independently verified, and police have not confirmed the reported death toll.

Conflicting casualty figures

According to JAAC sources, the three people reported killed at D-Chowk were identified as Ehtisham, Atif Noor and Adil Rashid. JAAC also released a preliminary list of 18 people reported injured. Local journalist Ajmal Shaheen was quoted as saying five civilians had been killed, naming a fourth victim, Ahsan Tariq of Nanota, with a fifth victim unidentified. The United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) put the figure higher still, alleging at least seven killed, and named three of the dead as Atif Jardees, 35, Ehtisham Younis, 30, and Adil Rashid, 32. The higher figures are attributed claims, not confirmed tolls, and the UKPNP itself said its claims require urgent independent verification.

The UKPNP also cited unverified reports that four children may have died in an alleged drone attack, a claim it said needs urgent independent verification, and reported a house near the bus terminal was destroyed by fire after an alleged drone strike. The JAAC, which the regional government declared a proscribed organisation in June, has led protests seeking improved governance, economic conditions and political representation.

Sources: Kashmir Times, 3 dead, 18 injured as forces crack down on Rawalakot protests, 5 November 2026; Kashgil News, 5 November 2026; IANS via Hi India, UKPNP statement, 5 November 2026.