Daesh attack on Syria truffle hunters kills dozens

Suspected Daesh terrorists killed at least 31 people foraging for truffles in Syria, a monitor has said, in the latest such attack in the war-ravaged country.

"A total of 31 people, including 12 pro-regime fighters, were killed while collecting truffles in the desert east of (the central city) Hama," the Observatory said on Sunday.

Earlier it reported the death of at least 26 people, a figure confirmed by the official Syrian news agency SANA.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the killing of four shepherds by Daesh terrorists in a separate incident, and the abduction of two others.

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Dangerous prize

Syria's desert truffles fetch high prices in a country battered by 12 years of war and a crushing economic crisis.

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.

Authorities frequently warn against high-risk practices. But between February and April each year, hundreds of impoverished Syrians search for truffles in the vast Syrian desert, or Badia - a known hideout for terrorists that is also littered with landmines.

Since February, more than 230 people - most of them civilians - have been killed in Daesh attacks targeting truffle hunters or by landmines left by the extremists, according to the Observatory.

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