Gunmen believed to have ties to the Islamic State group in Syria killed 18 people while they were searching for truffles in the Syrian desert on Wednesday, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. More than 50 individuals are still missing following the attack, which involved heavy clashes with pro-government forces.
The monitoring group confirmed that 18 people were killed in the attack, including four pro-government fighters, and stated that more than 50 individuals are unaccounted for. The assailants, likely affiliated with IS, used machine guns in the assault, resulting in burned vehicles and intense confrontations.
The Syrian desert is famous for its high-quality truffles, which are very valuable in a country ravaged by long-term conflict and economic hardships. Truffle foragers take significant risks every year between February and April to collect these delicacies in the dangerous northern Syrian desert, known as the Badia, where jihadist groups are known to operate and landmines are prevalent.
Recent incidents, including last month’s explosion caused by an IS landmine that killed 14 truffle foragers, highlight the ongoing threat posed by jihadist remnants in the region. Despite losing territorial control in 2019, IS operatives continue to hide in the desert and launch deadly attacks on civilians, as well as Kurdish-led forces, Syrian government troops, and pro-Iranian fighters, while also carrying out assaults in neighboring Iraq.
Since the conflict began in March 2011 with the Syrian government’s harsh crackdown on anti-government demonstrations, the war has claimed the lives of over half a million individuals and forced millions more to flee their homes.
