At least seven truffle hunters killed by mine

The victims were traveling in a truck in the east of the country when the explosion suddenly occurred. Incidents like this happen all the time in the country.

A sign warns of landmines in Syria. Panthermedia/Imago

At least seven people were killed in a landmine explosion in Syria, according to a human rights organization. The victims were truffle hunters who were traveling in a truck in the province of Dair al-Saur in the east of the country, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday. It was initially unclear whether there were also injuries.

In the civil war country, truffle hunters are repeatedly victims of mine explosions or other violence. Supporters of the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) also killed and kidnapped people who wanted to earn money by collecting the delicacy. The search also leads to remote desert areas, which serve as retreats for extremists and are often mined. According to the observatory, more than 180 collectors have died in the past two months alone.

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The aid organization Handicap International estimates that up to 300,000 mines and unexploded ordnance are scattered in Syria after more than a decade of civil war. IS once controlled large areas there. In the meantime, the militia there has been defeated, but there are still attacks.