Islamic State attack claims 11 lives in Syria, mostly civilians: War monitor

An attack blamed on the Islamic State (IS) group killed at least 11 people in central Syria, said a war monitor on Sunday (Febraury 12).Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the IS "attacked about 75 people on Saturday while they were collecting truffles in the Palmyra area, in the eastern countryside of Homs."

The attack killed "10 civilians, including a woman, and a member of the (Syrian) regime forces," it said, adding that others still remain missing.

The attack was reported by Syrian state news agency SANA as well but with a lower death toll. The report said that IS "terrorists" fired machine guns and killed four civilians, including a woman.

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Ten others were wounded in the attack, some "critically", the news agency added.

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After the jihadists lost their last scrapsof territory following a military onslaught backed by a US-led coalition in March 2019, IS remnants in Syria mostly retreated into desert hideouts in the country's east.

They have since used such hideouts to ambush Kurdish-led forces and Syrian government troops while continuing to mount attacks in Iraq.

Many people, including women and children, have been targeted in recent years while truffle hunting in central, northeastern and eastern areas of Syria.

(With inputs from agencies)

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