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Islamic State kills three truffle hunters in Syria

Truffle hunting is potentially profitable for Syrians amid the bleak economic situation in the country, but the activity is also dangerous due to targeting by the Islamic State.
A vendor arranges truffles at his road side stall in Damascus on March 1, 2023.

The Islamic State (IS) reportedly killed three truffle hunters on Tuesday, a war watchdog said. The group continues to carry out attacks in Syria, despite no longer holding any territory. 

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that “likely” Islamic State gunmen attacked a group of young men searching for truffles north of Palmyra in central Syria. Three of the men were killed before the assailants fled, according to the observatory. 

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