Islamic State gunmen have killed up to 53 people while searching for truffles

At least 36 people, according to Syrian state television as many as 53, were killed today by the so-called Islamic State (IS) militants south of the Syrian city of Sukhna in the province of Homs, about 50 kilometers from Palmyra. According to Syrian state media, gunmen were attacking truffle hunters in the desert, foreign agencies reported.

At least 36 victims of the attack were civilians, according to the exiled Syrian Organization for Human Rights (SOHR). Syrian state television or pro-government radio station Sham FM reports 53 dead. Sources agree that IS militants attacked truffle pickers.

According to Reuters, no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

As the server reminds Al Arabiain recent years, many people, including women and children, who went in search of truffles in areas of central, northeastern and eastern Syria have been targeted.

On Saturday, a total of sixteen people were killed in a similar attack targeting truffle hunters in the same area. Most of them were civilians, SOHR said. Dozens of other people were kidnapped during the attack. Some of them have since been released by the kidnappers, the fate of others remains unknown.