ISLAMABAD: Authorities and an outlawed civil rights group in Azad Kashmir traded accusations over the deaths of four civilians in the territory, with police on Saturday accusing protesters of using civilian homes for their activities.

Two women and two children were killed in an explosion this week in Pandi village of Azad Kashmir’s Bagh district, where the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has been staging a sit-in for months over civil rights and governance reforms.

In June, the regional government banned JAAC under anti-terrorism laws, citing its involvement in violent protests that have killed several security personnel. JAAC denies the allegations and accuses authorities of using force against unarmed protesters.

After the explosion in Bagh, JAAC accused security forces of bombing the house and killing the four civilians. Azad Kashmir police on Saturday denied JAAC’s accusations and said the group had been using civilian homes to attack law enforcers and security personnel.

“When we launched the clearance operation in this area, law enforcement agencies came under fire from the same area using sophisticated weapons, particularly with the indiscriminate use of grenade launchers,” Bagh Superintendent of Police (SP) Ameer-ud-Deen said on Saturday.

“There are visible marks of the grenade explosion on the walls, along with cracks, while there is no crater on the floor. This indicates that the grenade exploded inside the house at that very spot, rather than being thrown from outside,” he said.

“This also establishes that this terrorist group uses the homes of poor people as its hideouts.”

JAAC earlier accused security forces of dropping a bomb on the house of a man, Shaktar Hussain, via a drone, resulting in the deaths of his wife, his 11-year-old son, his 8-year-old daughter, and the children’s grandmother.

“Targeting the civilian population in this manner within a disputed territory constitutes a blatant violation of human life, dignity, and international humanitarian law,” it said in a statement this week.

“We demand an immediate, independent investigation into this incident— conducted in accordance with international standards— and that those responsible be brought to justice.”

Muslim-majority Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but has been divided between them since their independence from British rule.

Violence has gripped Azad Kashmir, the part of the territory administered by Pakistan, since June when JAAC announced to march toward the regional capital in support of its demands. The area is considered highly sensitive by the Pakistani military and government after years of frequent skirmishes and full-blown wars with India.

On Saturday, Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Iftikhar Gillani expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in Bagh incident, promising to restore order in the territory.

“Five months of violence, intimidation and disruption by proscribed JAAC have inflicted immense suffering on the people of that area... It’s time that proscribed JAAC and associates responsible for targeting civilians and undermining peace must be held accountable,” Gillani said in a statement.

“The AJK (Azad Jammu and Kashmir) government stands firmly with its citizens and will take all necessary measures to protect lives, restore law and order and safeguard the rights of every citizen.”