At least 11 truffle pickers were killed on Sunday in an attack attributed to the Islamic State (IS) group in the Syrian desert, a former stronghold of this ultra-radical organization, an NGO reported.
IS fighters set off a mine as their vehicle passed before opening fire on them in the desert expanses of Raqqa province in northern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. man (OSDH).
At least 11 truffle collectors were killed, according to the same source.
Three other people, who also went looking for these highly prized mushrooms, were kidnapped by the jihadists, according to the NGO based in the United Kingdom but with a vast network of sources in the country at war.
All the victims are civilians and the toll could rise, the OSDH further indicated, adding that residents as well as armed men in the region have mobilized to try to find those captured and recover the bodies of the victims.
ISIS, which took control of entire swaths of the country from 2014, was territorially defeated in March 2019 by an international anti-jihadist coalition led by the United States and Kurdish forces.
Despite this defeat, cells of the jihadist organization scattered across the Syrian desert regularly carry out deadly attacks, particularly during the rainy season, between February and April, the only time of year when sand truffles can be harvested. .
In a country plunged into a severe economic crisis after 13 years of war, the high value of sand truffles makes them a precious resource for a hard-hit population.
According to the OSDH, IS fighters frequently target residents going to isolated areas in search of truffles.
Despite repeated warnings from the authorities, this high-risk activity persists.