The Islamic State group killed 15 desert truffle hunters in conflict-torn central Syria by slitting their throats, leaving 40 others missing, war monitors said on Friday.
Since February, at least 150 people – mostly civilians – have been killed by IS attacks targeting truffle hunters or landmines left by the extremists, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Desert truffles in Syria fetch high prices in a country forgotten by 12 years of war and a devastating economic crisis.
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“At least 15 people, including seven civilians and eight local pro-regime fighters, were killed by IS fighters who cut their throats while they were gathering truffles on Saturday,” Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.
Forty others went missing after the attack in Hama province, he added.
Syrian state media did not immediately report the incident.
Between February and April every year, hundreds of impoverished Syrians search for truffles in the vast Syrian Desert, or Badia – a place known to jihadists that is also riddled with landmines.
– Favorite mushrooms –
The monitor said IS was taking advantage of the annual harvest of delicious desert mushrooms to carry out attacks in remote locations.
Foragers risk their lives to collect delicacies, despite repeated warnings about land mines and IS fighters.
The Syrian desert is famous for producing some of the best quality truffles in the world.
Mushrooms can sell for up to $25 a kilo ($11 a pound) depending on size and grade – in a country where the average monthly wage is around $18.
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Earlier this month, IS fighters killed three truffle hunters and kidnapped at least 26 others in northern Syria, according to the monitor, which relies on an extensive network of sources in Syria.
The attack occurred near a position held by pro-Iranian forces, the UK-based Observatory said.
In February, IS fighters on motorbikes set fire to truffle hunters, killing at least 68 people, war monitors said at the time.
After IS lost its last territory in March 2019 following a military offensive backed by the US-led coalition, the remnants of IS in Syria have largely retreated to hideouts in the desert.
They have since used these hideouts to attack civilians, Kurdish-led forces, Syrian government forces and pro-Iranian fighters, while also increasing attacks in neighboring Iraq.
Syria’s war has claimed the lives of around half a million people and displaced millions since it erupted in March 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests.
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