9 truffle hunters including NDF militants killed in central Syria
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – Nine truffle hunters, mostly militants of the National Defense Forces (NDF), affiliated with the Syrian government forces, were killed on Wednesday in two separate incidents in the countryside of Homs and Hama, central Syria.
A military source from the government forces told North Press that unidentified gunmen, riding motorcycles, suspected to be militants of the Islamic State (ISIS), attacked truffle hunters in the village of Tweitan, near Jabal al-Amour area in the Palmyra desert, central Syria.
The source added that the attack resulted in the killing of Ahmad al-Dawar and Bandar al-Fanish, while the remaining truffle hunters managed to escape.
In another incident, seven bodies of NDF militants were found after they had been missing for days while hunting truffles in Tel Salma area, east of Hama, as reported by the source.
The Monitoring and Documentation Department of North Press Agency documented the killing and injury of 266 truffle hunters across Syria at the end of truffle season in 2023.
Each year, hundreds of Syrians risk their lives in the vast Syrian Desert, which produces 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 ISIS presence.