AJK residents debunk India’s false claim of killing terrorists on LOC

Residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir strongly rejected Indian claims that two civilians who were near the Line of Control (LoC) were terrorists. The allegations emerged after an attack in Pahalgam town of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), where unidentified gunmen opened fire at a tourist spot, killing 26 people and injuring 12 others.

According to Indian authorities, among the deceased were a Nepali tourist and an officer from the Indian Navy. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, Indian forces shot and killed two men along the LoC, later labeling them as "terrorists" attempting to infiltrate the border.

However, locals from the area categorically denied these claims. They identified the slain men as Malik Farooq and Muhammad Din, both around 60 years old.

Read: Kashmiri Muslims sheltered Indian tourists during Pahalgam attack, say survivors

Community members stated that the two were well-known in the region, had ancestral ties to the land, and were merely searching for their lost cattle at the time of the incident.

“They were elderly cattle herders, not militants. Everyone in the area knows them and their families,” said a local resident, expressing outrage at what they describe as an extrajudicial killing.

Meanwhile, the aftermath of the Pahalgam tragedy sparked widespread protests across Kashmir.

Demonstrators denounced what they called “false flag operations” and condemned the Indian media’s communal narrative surrounding the attack.

Check: Pakistan denies involvement in Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists in IIOJK

"All television channels are focused on creating Hindu-Muslim divisions," a protester said.

"Why doesn’t the government explain what Indian intelligence agencies were doing when the attack happened? There have been past incidents where such attacks were later traced back to those very agencies."

In a move drawing further criticism, the Indian government also announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and closure of the Attari check post, citing the Pahalgam attack as justification, which many observers see as politically motivated.