Militants kill fruit trader, injure another in Kashmir

A non-local fruit trader was shot dead, while his associate was injured when militants opened fire on them in South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Sunday evening.

Sources said that two to three militants targeted the fruit traders in Trenz, Shopian – 54 kilometre from here at around 7.15 pm. The slain trader has been identified as Charanjeet Singh, while the injured, who has been referred to Srinagar for treatment, has been identified as Sanjay Kumar.

The latest attack on the stakeholders of the fruit industry came two after a driver from Rajasthan was killed by the militant when apple boxes were being laden in his truck in the same district.

Since the day the Centre went ahead with abrogation of Article 35A and 370, the militants have been threatening the fruit traders not to carry on with their business. The militants have also been telling shopkeepers and businesses to adhere to their timetable.

Prior to this, in early September, four people, including a two-year-old girl, were injured after terrorists attacked house of a fruit trader in North Kashmir's Sopore district, for defying their warnings to shut shop to protest centre's move to end special status to the state under Article 370, police said. The incident is seen as an attempt by terrorists to instil fear among the people and disrupt peace in the Valley