Tension grips Kashmir after two truckers set ablaze

Tension gripped Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday when some miscreants attacked truckers with petrol bombs causing serious burn injuries to two Kashmiri truckers near Shiv Nagar in the Udhampur district on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

The attack comes a day after Udhampur and adjacent areas observed a shutdown after the carcasses of the cows were found in the district. However district administration ruled out any foul play and concluded that the bovines had died a natural death.

Minister of horticulture Abdul Rehman Veeri told the Legislative Assembly that on Friday night a group of miscreants assembled near hotel Dolphin in Shiv Nagar area of the district and hurled a bottle containing some combustible material on a truck which was on way from Jammu to Srinagar.

"Police parties, which were patrolling in the area, immediately swung into action and rescued the persons Showkat Ahmed and Zahid Ahmad. Both persons got burn injuries in the attack and the driver Rameez Ahmad Bhat escaped unhurt besides saving the truck from any damage," he said.

Police have registered a case under different sections of law including of attempt to murder under section 307 RPC and 3/5 of explosives substances act against the miscreants who set ablaze the truckers. Five miscreants have been arrested and hunt is on to nab three others who are on the run.

District development commissioner Udhampur, Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary said entire incident was captured on the CCTV and one of attackers was arrested immediately by the policemen deployed on patrolling duty.

"After getting leads four more persons involved in the incident were arrested. The arrested have been identified as Harish, Bal Bahadur, Sandoor Singh and Suneet Singh, all residents of Udhampur. Hunt has been launched for five other accused", said Chaudhary

Rameez Ahmad Bhat, the eyewitness who managed to escape unhurt told reporters that miscreants first lobbed patrol bombs and then sprinkled petrol on Showkat and Zahid who were trying to flee. "Both suffered severe burn injuries. It and were immediately rushed to Udhampur hospital but were later taken to GMC Jammu", he said.

The attack has snowballed into a major issue with opposition and Kashmir Inc coming down heavily on the government for not doing enough to tackle the elements who are bent upon to create communal tension in the state.

While main opposition National Conference members staged a walk out from the Legislative Assembly, four Kashmiri trade bodies --Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry ( (KCCI), Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), Federation of Chambers of Industries (FCIK) and Kashmir Traders & Manufacturer Federation (KTMF) – held an joint meetingand asked the state administration to curb such incidents with iron hand.

"We urge economic, social and political representatives of Jammu region to come forward and honestly combat such disruptive elements or else there can be worse ramifications for everybody. We also appeal to general public of the state to fight the likelihood of economic blockade which such disruptive elements are planning to resort to," he said.