2 Drivers Shot Dead By Terrorists In Kashmir's Shopian, Truck Set On Fire

Two truck drivers who had come to transport apples in Kashmir's Shopian district were shot dead by terrorists on Thursday evening and their truck was set on fire. Another truck driver was injured in the attack.

The latest attack comes a week after an apple trader was shot dead by terrorists in the same district, which was the third such killing in three days in the Kashmir valley. Terrorists had killed a labourer and a man from Rajasthan who was driving a truck from an orchard.

Police say the terrorists are acting in desperation as transportation of fruit has picked up in Kashmir valley.

"It's an unfortunate incident. The truck drivers had ventured into interior areas without informing the security forces," a senior official told news agency PTI.

The official said that bodies of two drivers had been recovered while another injured was being evacuated to hospital in Srinagar. Police teams are trying to arrest the accused.

One of the victims has been identified as Mohmmed Illiyas, a resident of Alwar in Rajasthan, while the injured has been identified as Jeevan from Hoshiarpur in Punjab. The identity of the other victim is being ascertained.

Sources said the terrorists have been targeting labourers, who have come to Jammu and Kashmir from outside the state, to create fear among them and disrupt trade.

Post-paid mobile communication that was blocked since August 5, when the centre announced its two big decisions - the scrapping of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and the state's bifurcation into two union territories - was restored in the state last week after over 70 days.

After post-paid mobile connections were restored, businesses have started trading in Kashmir valley despite threats from terrorists, who have targeted migrant workers like truck drivers and orchard workers to discourage them from showing signs of normalcy.