Protesters and security personnel engaged in deadly clashes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir as the sensitive Himalayan region goes to the polls, an official said yesterday.

The fresh unrest began on Monday, the day voting began in parts of the region, with the clashes mostly taking place around the city of Rawalakot, the epicentre of weeks of demonstrations.

“One security force personnel was killed and three others wounded in clashes that have continued since Monday evening between security forces and protesters near Rawalakot,” the city’s top civilian official Sardar Waheed told AFP.

He added that the standoff was continuing as protesters surrounded the outskirts of Rawalakot, with security personnel holding them back from entering the centre of the city. There were fears the confirmed death toll could rise.

A spokesperson for protest movement the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) said around 20 of its supporters had been left dead during the clashes. Waheed said authorities could not confirm that toll.

“Different groups are claiming 18 to 20 deaths, but we cannot verify these figures,” he said, saying civilian casualties were not being brought directly to government hospitals. Pakistan’s military did not respond to request for confirmation of the toll, referring AFP to local authorities.

Around 3.8 million residents in the Pakistan-administered portion of the disputed Himalayan region were eligible to vote in an election seen as a test of security after weeks of standoffs between police and protesters.