At least 53 people died this Friday in an attack attributed to the jihadist group Islamic State (EI) in the center of Syriaannounced state television.
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“Fifty-three truffle collectors were killed in an attack by Daesh (Arabic acronym for IS) terrorists southeast of the city of Sokhneh, in eastern Homs province.”, the report specified.
Palmyra hospital director Walid Audi said 46 civilians and seven soldiers were killed.
The bodies were "taken to the hospital after the ambush," he added, speaking to pro-government Sham FM radio.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), a UK-based NGO, had previously reported the massacre, with a balance of 36 dead.
In recent years, numerous people, including women and children, have been attacked in different parts of Syria while searching for truffles.
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The desert truffle, or sand truffle, is generally collected between February and April and sells for very high prices.
Sixteen people, mostly civilians, were killed on Saturday in a similar attack in the same area, the OSDH said.
After the jihadists lost their last holdings in March 2019 following a US-led military campaign, many members of the Islamic State group in Syria took refuge in desert areas.
They have since used these hideouts to ambush Kurdish forces and Syrian troops, as well as to stage attacks in neighboring Iraq.
Russian and Syrian helicopters continue to regularly attack IS jihadists in desert areas.
