2 Drivers killed by terrorists in South Kashmir District of Shopian

Unidentified
gunmen, widely believed to be militants, have gunned down two more non-Kashmiri
drivers and set their trucks on fire, yet again in the South Kashmir district
of Shopian.

Residents
said that a group of three to four gunmen appeared at Chitragam, Zainapora,
about 15 km from the district headquarters of Shopian, at around 7:00 pm on
Thursday, 24 October. They opened indiscriminate fire on two or three trucks
which were being laden with apples. Two drivers died on the spot before the
police and security forces reached there. One more driver, in critical
condition, was evacuated and rushed to Srinagar.

The
labourers and others on the spot ran away into the village immediately after
they heard gunshots and spotted two trucks in flames. Residents said the
shootout spread a wave of terror in the apple-rich Shopian district where
suspected militants had shot dead two more outsiders associated with the fruit
business earlier this month.

Additional
Director General of Police, Security and Law & Order, Munir Khan, told that,
like the two previous incidents, thursday’s killings were aimed at spreading
fear among the fruit growers and transporters currently carrying apples from
the Valley to Jammu, Delhi and other destinations.

On quoting
preliminary reports from Shopian, Mr Khan said that one of the slain drivers
had been identified as Illyas Khan of Alwar, Rajasthan, while no photo identity
card or documents had been found on the second dead body.