...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling
Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not
reallyMoslems...
(ISIS) killed on Sunday 26 truffle hunters in the eastern countryside of Hama, central west Syria.
The state-run SANA News Agency said, citing a source in Police Command of the Syrian government forces, that ISIS attacked a group of locals in the village of Duizen, in the eastern countryside of Hama, killing 26 citizens while collecting truffles.
In truffle hunting season, hundreds of truffle hunters have gone missing under mysterious circumstances, some of whom were killed by turbans or mines, while others were kidnapped. The fate of many is still unknown.
Each year, hundreds of Syrians risk their lives in the vast Syrian Desert, which is rich in high-quality truffles. The late winter season is largely seen as an opportunity to earn a good income, due to the high prices paid for the desert delicacy, despite the threats of landmines and ISIS presence.
ISIS lost its final stronghold in Syria in March 2019. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with the support of the US-led Global Coalition, defeated ISIS after fierce battles in the town of Baghouz in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, bringing an end to the so-called caliphate declared by the terrorist ISIS.
| Al Ahram adds: |
He said 17 of the dead were pro-regime fighters.
The official Syrian news agency
... and if you can't believe the Official Syrian News Agency who can you believe?
SANA reported the deaths of at least 26 people.
The Observatory, which has a wide network of sources on the ground in Syria, said jihadists riding cycle of violence
s also attacked a group of shepherds in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, killing five and seizing their livestock.Two other shepherds were kidnapped, the war monitor said.
SANA also reported five dead in the attack, and said the jihadists opened fire on the animals, killing 250 sheep.
Also in Deir Ezzor, the decomposed bodies of two civilians thought to have been truffle hunters killed days earlier by jihadists were recovered, the Observatory said.
Since February, more than 240 people have been killed in IS attacks targeting truffle hunters or by landmines left by the holy warriors, according to the Observatory.
The victims included 15 people foraging for truffles who had their throats slit by IS last month.
In February, IS fighters on cycle of violences opened fire on truffle hunters and killed at least 68 people, the Observatory said at the time.
Syria's desert truffles fetch high prices in a state battered by 12 years of war and a crushing economic crisis.
However,
if you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning...
the authorities frequently warn against the high-risk practice of gathering them.
Between February and April each year, hundreds of impoverished Syrians still search for truffles in the vast Syrian desert, or Badia -- a known hideout for jihadists that is also littered with landmines.
Syrian truffles are less fragrant than truffles found in La Belle France and Italia, and can only be found during the rainy season. The prized fungus can sell for up to $25 per kilo (2.2 pounds) depending on size and grade -- in a country where the average monthly wage is around $18.
| And from Rudaw: |