SRINAGAR: Two non-local truck drivers were shot dead and another injured by suspected militants in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Thursday.
Director-General of Police Dilbag Singh said in the evening, terrorists fired at trucks near Chittargam in Shopian and injured three drivers. The militants fired using automatic weapons when apples were being loaded on the trucks.
The terrorists stopped the trucks bearing registration number of Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab and started firing at the drivers who made an unsuccessful attempt to flee.
One of the dead has been identified as Ilyas Khan from Alwar in Rajasthan, while the injured has been identified as Jeevan from Hoshiarpur in Punjab. The identity of the other deceased is being ascertained. “Another deceased could not be identified as his body was charred. A third truck driver was injured in the attack and he was referred to Srinagar hospital for treatment,” sources said.
Immediately after the attack, police, army and paramilitary personnel rushed to the spot and launched a cordon and search operation. It is the fourth attack on non-locals in south Kashmir.
On October 16, two non-locals, a fruit trader from Punjab Charanjeet Singh and a labourer from Chhattisgarh Sethi Kumar Sagar, were shot dead by militants in south Kashmir.
While Singh was shot dead by militants in Shopian, Sagar was killed at Nihama, Kakapora area of Pulwama district. On October 14, militants shot dead a truck driver from Rajasthan at Shirmall village of Shopian district.
Earlier attacks
On 14 October, two terrorists, including a suspected Pakistani national, shot dead the driver of a truck with Rajasthan registration and assaulted an orchard owner in Shopian district. The driver was identified as Sharief Khan.
On October 16, two non-locals — a fruit trader from Punjab Charanjeet Singh and a labourer from Chhattisgarh Sethi Kumar Sagar — were shot dead by militants in south Kashmir.
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