Drone strikes on protesters in POK kill 7, injure 23
What's the story
At least seven civilians were killed and 23 others injured after drone strikes on protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) on Thursday. Reports indicate that Pakistani security forces opened fire and deployed armed drones against protesters. The incident has drawn comparisons between the actions of Pakistani security forces and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), with Pakistanis saying they have turned POK into Gaza.
Protest intensification
JAAC has been protesting since June
The protests, led by the banned Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), have been ongoing since June.
They were initially against the reservation of 12 Assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees who are settled elsewhere in Pakistan.
The demonstration expanded to include demands for basic political and economic rights, as well as the implementation of a 38-point charter.
The charter includes demands for cheaper electricity, subsidized wheat, better healthcare and education facilities, job opportunities, and greater political autonomy.
Video evidence
JAAC leader shows alleged bomb fragments from drone strike
In a video, JAAC leader Sardar Umar Nazir displayed what he claimed were bomb fragments from the drone strike.
He alleged that drones were attacking protest camps from different directions and urged residents to come to Rawalakot as the crackdown intensified.
While some Pakistani journalists claim the death toll could be around 12, India Today TV's Manjeet Negi reported seven deaths on Thursday.
Online outrage
Many netizens compare Pakistani forces with IDF
The incident has caused a stir on social media, with many accusing Pakistani security forces of acting like the IDF and turning POK into Gaza.
Abu Dhabi-based Kashmiri activist Sohaib Khan, associated with the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), which is banned in India, compared images coming out of POK to those from Gaza.
"Burning houses in Rawalakot after Pakistani forces' drone attacks are presenting the same horrific scenes as Gaza..." he wrote on X.