It has been reported that 41 people, 24 of them civilians, were killed in the attacks carried out by ISIS gangs against truffles pickers and shepherds in Syria on Sunday. It was also stated that 250 sheep were killed.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that ISIS gangs killed 36 people in the desert east of Hama while picking truffles. According to the Observatory, 17 of those killed were pro-Damascus militias. According to the government-affiliated Sana agency, 26 people were killed.
The Observatory stated that armed people thought to be affiliated with ISIS gangs killed 5 shepherds in the Deir ez-Zor region. The news agency Sana wrote that ISIS gangs first killed 5 people and then opened fire on animals and killed 250 sheep.
Decomposed bodies of two civilians were found in the same province. The Observatory reported that a few days ago they were killed by ISIS mercenaries also while picking truffles.
Since the beginning of February, the number of people killed while picking mushrooms has exceeded 250. Most of them were civilians.
The truffles grown in the Syrian desert are considered among the best in the world and are usually picked between February and April and sold at high prices. In the country, where the average monthly wage is $18, truffle harvesting is seen as a livelihood. A kilo of truffles sells for between $5 and $25, depending on size and quality.
