Fighters from the Islamic State (IS) group killed 26 people who were foraging for truffles in west-central Syria on Sunday, according to reports from a human rights group and Syrian state media.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 10 Syrian Armed Forces personnel were killed in the attack in addition to civilians. Armed IS fighters attacked the group “while they were collecting truffles in the desert east of Hama,” about 130 miles north of Damascus, the report said.
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Some impoverished Syrians turn to seasonal truffle foraging to bring in money—a pound of truffles can bring in nearly the average monthly wage of $18. But the undertaking is known to be dangerous. The desert where the lucrative truffles can be found is also rife with landmines from Syria’s ongoing civil war and hideouts for IS fighters. Truffle foragers, who travel in large groups to remote locations, are vulnerable to being abducted for ransom or killed.
According to the observatory, more than 200 people, mostly civilians, have been killed by IS attacks or landmines while foraging for truffles.