MUZAFFARABAD: A passer-by was killed while two police constables sustained injuries during an alleged exchange of fire between police and suspected criminals in Bagh district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Friday morning.

According to a police spokesperson, the incident followed the arrest of a suspect by Poonch police a day earlier. The suspect, identified as Muiz, a resident of Chak Dhamni on the outskirts of Rawalakot, was taken into custody on Thursday. Two 30-bore pistols, along with magazines and ammunition, were recovered from him at the time of his arrest.

During interrogation, Muiz allegedly disclosed that he was an associate of a man named Zarnosh and others, and had delivered weapons to them just a day prior.

Last month, a senior police official had informed the media that Zarnosh and his two colleagues were involved in the killing of police constable Sajjad Resham on October 27, 2024, in Shujabad, Bagh, an attack aimed at spreading fear in the region.

The trio was also accused of radicalising youth, inciting them against the state, and recruiting them for terrorist activities with alleged support from an Afghanistan-based militant outfit.

Acting on the information by Muiz, a police team led by SSP Poonch Riaz Mughal proceeded to the neighbouring Bagh district to recover the arms and arrest the suspects.

There, the team was joined by local police officials under the command of SSP Bagh Raja Mohammad Akmal.

However, as the police approached the Petaratta Morh area, the suspects reportedly opened fire.

Constables Mohammad Farooq and Mohammad Areeb were injured in the exchange, while a passer-by, Zahid Qureshi, who happened to be riding his motorcycle through the area, was also hit by gunfire.

Mr Qureshi, an employee at a local bakery who occasionally worked as a motorbike courier to make ends meet, was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Bagh, where he succumbed to his injuries. The injured constables were later transferred to Rawalpindi for further treatment and were said to be out of danger.

Following the incident, police teams from both Bagh andPoonchlaunched acoordinatedsearchoperationto apprehend the suspects.

The tragic death of the civilian sparked outrage among local residents, who staged a protest on the main road. While condemning the killing of an innocent man, some protesters criticised Poonch police for allegedly failing to coordinate with local law enforcement beforelaunchingthe operation.

`We are not against any institution,` said one protester, `but we want an independent inquiry to determine whether Zahid was killed by police bullets or by the suspects` fire.

Later in the afternoon, hundreds of people attended Mr Qureshi`s funeral prayers, including Deputy Commissioner Bagh Raja Sadagat Adalat, SSP Poonch Mughal, and SSP Akmal.

Speaking on the occasion, all three officials expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and stressed the need for public support in police operations.

`Zahid Qureshi was our brother, and his death is a tragedy for all of us... He became a victim in a situation where we were the actual targets. We are deeply sorry for this loss, and we promise to take full care of his family,` SSP Mughal said. He stressed that the ongoing threat demanded a united front.

`Our lives are spent away from homes, day and night, confronting danger. But the police alone cannot succeed. Without the public`s cooperation, we cannot prevent such tragedies or ensure lasting peace.

SSP Mughal also revealed that the suspects remained at large in the same area and that police were collecting solid evidence to apprehend them.

`Unless the local community stands with us, our efforts will fall short,` he warned.