A truck driver from Katra area of Reasi district in Jammu region was shot dead in cold blood by the terrorists in Kanilwan area of Bijbehara in Anantnag district late on Monday evening while he was returning after lifting apple boxes from a local market.
The terrorists attacked the truck driver around 7.45 pm, a local police officer told The Pioneer over telephone.
He said the truck driver has been identified as Narayan Dutt from Katra area of Reasi district.
This is the fourth incident of targeted killing of truck drivers in the Kashmir valley in the last two weeks.
Earlier, a truck driver, identified as Sharief Khan, was killed on October 14 and two days later, two apple traders from Punjab were targeted on October 16 by the terrorists in Trenz area of Shopian district.
On October 24, a truck driver and his conductor, both hailing from Alwar area were targeted by the terrorists in Shopian late Thursday evening.
The deceased were identified as Illiyas Khan and Jahid of Alwar in Rajasthan while critically injured truck driver was identified as Jas Jeewan Singh from Kartarpur area of Punjab. In all these targeted attacks, the terrorists also burnt down the loaded trucks with apple boxes to spread panic among the truckers.
The State administration and the police authorities had also issued advisories to the truck drivers not to venture in interior areas and had also set up safety zones for apple growers to ensure safety of truck drivers and workers engaged in the task of packaging of apple boxes.