ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least 16 people were killed in northern Syria’s Raqqa after a landmine, believed to have been left behind by the Islamic State (ISIS), exploded in an area where impoverished Syrians frequently search for truffles, a human rights monitor reported on Saturday.
A vehicle carrying over 20 truffle hunters struck a mine in an area riddled with ISIS explosives in Raqqa’s eastern countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). At least 16 people, including nine women, were killed, and six others were wounded.
Despite repeated warnings from authorities, hundreds of poverty-stricken Syrians venture into the Badia desert between February and April each year in search of truffles. In addition to the landmines, the desert is also known to be a hideout for jihadists, making it a high-risk area to search for the delicious delicacy.
Some of the highest quality truffles come from the Syrian desert and can fetch up to $25 per kilogram in a country where the average monthly wage is only around $18.
At least 74 people have been killed and 71 others wounded in landmine explosions in Syria since the start of the year, according to data from SOHR. In late February, an ISIS landmine killed at least 14 truffle hunters and injured another eight.
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