At least 19 people, truffle pickers in the Syrian desert, died today after their vehicle ran into a mine in a former stronghold of the Islamic State jihadists, the non-governmental organization Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) announced today.
According to the organization, which is based in Great Britain and has a vast network of sources in Syria, 19 civilians, including 12 women, were killed in the explosion that occurred in the desert of Raqqa province in northern Syria.
There were more than 20 people in the vehicle, many of whom were injured.
The Islamic State, which has controlled large parts of the territory in Syria since 2014, was defeated in March 2019 in military operations by the international anti-jihadist coalition led by the United States of America (US), with the alliance of Kurdish forces.
Many jihadists then retreated into the Syrian desert, leaving numerous mines behind in the area.
The Syrian desert is famous for truffles, supposedly among the best in the world.
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