Landmine blasts kill, injure 4 people in central Syria
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – Landmine explosions killed on Monday one person and injured three others in separate incidents in the deserts of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa in central and eastern Syria.
A source informed North Press that an explosion of a landmine in the town of Madan, east of Raqqa, killed a young man called Jassem al-Zamel.
The source added that another landmine exploded in the al-Hamdaniya desert, injuring a woman named Samira al-Oweiss while she was collecting truffles, leading to her leg amputation.
An exclusive source told North Press that a landmine explosion injured two young men in the Hamma desert, east of Deir ez-Zor. The two young men were riding a motorcycle, and the explosion caused them serious injuries.
The source further added that the two young men were Tareq al-Abd al-Jassem al-Saleh and Haytham al-Ahmad al-Jassem al-Saleh.
Each year hundreds of Syrians risk their lives in the vast Syrian Desert, which is rich in high-quality truffles. The late winter season is largely seen as an opportunity to earn a good income due to the high prices paid for the desert delicacy, despite the threats of landmines and Islamic State (ISIS) presence.
Syria’s desert truffles are sold at high prices. At the start of the season, a kilogram will go for $40, later dropping to $10, at its lowest.
In a country battered by 12 years of war and a series of crushing economic crises, truffles are a good way to supplement meager incomes. Some traders buy high-quality truffles and export them to neighboring Iraq and Lebanon, while others smuggle them to rich Gulf countries through Jordan.