Driver Transporting Apple, Trader Among Three Non-Kashmiris Killed By Terrorists This Week, Puts Valley On The Edge

As the government continues to relax restrictions imposed in Kashmir since August, the terrorists are taking advantage of it to target civilians, especially outsiders.

This week alone there were three separate incidents where non-Kashmiris were attacked by terrorists in the valley.

The first to be killed was Sharief Khan, a truck driver from Rajasthan. He was shot dead by two terrorists, including a suspected Pakistani national, in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

AP/ REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE

On Wednesday, there were to separate attacks in which an apple trader from Punjab and a brick kiln worker from Chhattisgarh were shot dead.

Apple trader Charanjeet Singh and Sanjeev were attacked at Trenz in Shopian district by 3-4 terrorists around 7:30 pm. The two were rushed to the district hospital in Pulwama, where Singh died. Sanjeev¡¯s condition is critical. Earlier in the day, brick kiln worker Sethi Kumar Sagar was shot dead while he was on a stroll with his friend near his workplace in the Nehama area of Pulwama.

Out of the three attacks, two were targeted on those who were in the valley for apple business. Truck driver Khan and his help Ikram Khan were loading apple cartons into the truck when they were killed by the terrorists.

AP/ REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE

Charanjeet too was in the valley for apple trade and was staying in Trenz village with some farmers from who he was planning to buy apples.

The two incidents have raised concerns about the future of apple trade this season in the valley.

Apple growers in Kashmir who were facing loses due to the restrictions in the valley since August were hoping to make up for some of the loses after the partial restoration of communication earlier this week.

AP/ REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE

However, this is exactly what the terrorists want not to happen. By targeting apple traders they seem to be trying to scare others away from coming to the valley to do business.

This has left many in the valley concerned.

¡°Apple trucks which left Shopian on October 9 are stuck at Qazigund due to highway blockade. We don¡¯t know what to make of the killing of the truck driver,¡± president of Shopian fruit mandi president Muhammad Ashraf Wani told The Economic Times.