Al-Hasakah, Syria – Truffle hunters in the northern Syrian desert faced a tragic incident on Saturday when their vehicle struck a landmine, resulting in the death of at least 19 individuals, as reported by a war monitor.
Every year between February and April, scores of impoverished Syrians go on the perilous search for truffles in the expansive Syrian Desert, also known as the Badia. This region serves as a refuge for jihadists and is riddled with dangerous landmines.
The tragic incident took the lives of 19 civilians, with 12 of them being women. The small truck they were traveling in detonated a mine in an area where Islamic State (IS) extremists are known to be present in Raqa province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
This devastating event sheds light on the risks that Syrians take in pursuit of desert truffles, a lucrative commodity in a country ravaged by over a decade of conflict and a severe economic downturn. Authorities have repeatedly warned against the dangerous practice of truffle hunting in these hazardous areas.
Recent weeks have seen a series of deadly mine explosions as truffle hunters continue their search. Just earlier this month, a group of truffle hunters were targeted in a desert attack by gunmen suspected to be linked to IS, resulting in the deaths of 18 people, mainly civilians, as per the Observatory’s report.
In March 2019, IS lost its last remaining territories in Syria following a military campaign supported by a US-led coalition. However, remnants of the jihadist group still lurk in the desert, launching violent assaults on civilians, Kurdish-led forces, Syrian government troops, and pro-Iran fighters, while also carrying out attacks in neighboring Iraq.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes struck multiple sites in southern Syria, causing injuries to a soldier, as reported by Syrian state media. The air defenses managed to intercept some of the missiles, which originated from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The incident serves as a grim reminder of the persistent dangers faced by those venturing into conflict-ridden areas in search of truffles, highlighting the ongoing security challenges in the region.