Srinagar: A mob on Thursday attacked the vehicles carrying the officials of Excise and Taxation, and Revenue departments at Melhoora in Shopian district while the officials were on a “cannabis destruction drive”.

Officials of the district administration said that soon after the vehicles reached the village, a mob attacked them with stones and axes resulting in damage to several vehicles. However, the officials luckily escaped unhurt.

They said that the officials of the sub-district had asked police for security for maintaining law and order, but the same was not provided.

The excise department officials also maintained that despite directions to the police, security was not provided to them.

They said that 25 government officials were present in multiple vehicles when the group of people attacked them.

Melhura area in Shopian is infamous since decades for cultivation of cannabis and huge chunk of population have turned cultivation of banned crop their livelihood.