Batala: Two twin brothers were killed when their tractor was hit by a local train at an unmanned railway crossing on Amritsar-Pathankot section near Kotli Fassi village in Gurdaspur district today, police said. Police identified the deceased as Jagtar Singh, a BSF jawan, and his brother Mukhtar Singh. Mukhtar Singh was going to drop his brother at Naushera Mazza Singh town. The bodies were brought to the Civil Hospital here and handed over to the relatives of the deceased after a post-mortem.

Shimla: Two persons were killed and one injured in two mishaps in Kangra district on Sunday. A man identified as Sanjeev Kumar was killed when a tractor-trolley carrying him overturned near Bandla under Palampur police station. In another incident, one Joginder Singh was fatally hit by a jeep near Kandwal barrier in Nurpur area. The jeep driver fled after the mishap.

Crime
Ludhiana: Three unidentified armed persons shot at and injured a trader, Mukesh Mittal, before decamping with his cash bag containing Rs 50,000 in the busy commercial centre of Saban Bazar Chowk here this evening. Two children also received injuries in the shootout. Mittal and the children, admitted to local hospitals, were reported to be out of danger.

According to police, the trader was on a routine collection drive on his scooter when three persons accosted him near Saban Bazar Chowk and tried to snatch his bag. Eye witnesses told ENS that Mittal resisted the attempted robbery and ran inside a nearby shop calling for help. The assailants followed him and fired two shots from a pistol and escaped on another scooter parked nearby. The two children -- Monu and Sonu, standing nearby, were hit by pellets.

Sikh shrines
Amritsar: The Indian and Pakistan governments have cleared the visit of about 3,000 pilgrims to Sikh shrines in Pakistan to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, better known as Nankana Sahib, which falls on November 4. The jatha would also visit the Sikh shrines of Panja Sahib at Hasan Abdal, Sacha Sauda and Dera Sahib Lahore.

Militancy
Pathankot: Naib Rialdar Tilak Raj was killed in an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir on October 18. Tialk Raj was serving with Rashtriya Rifles. His funeral was held today with full military honours at his native village Khabal in Kangra district.