SRINAGAR, INDIA - Two apple truck drivers were shot dead and their vehicles set on fire in India-controlled Kashmir, police said on Friday , in the latest attack on the vital local fruit industry that has been pulled into the conflict between militants and New Delhi.
The nearly US$2 billion apple trade has been caught between militants wanting a shutdown of the local economy in protest over India's actions and New Delhi, which wants to restore normality. Last week, two apple traders and a driver - all three also from outside Kashmir - were killed in two separate attacks by militants in the same region, known for its vast orchards.
The Kashmir Valley's apple sector - currently in harvest season - is vital to the local economy, employing more than three million people directly or indirectly.