Iraq

Suspected IS Militants Kill at Least 26 in Syrian Desert

Published APR 18 2023

Story

Image credit: Delil Souleiman/AFP [via Al-Monitor]

The Facts

At least 26 civilians and pro-government fighters were killed in a suspected Islamic State (IS) attack on Sunday in Syria's Hama Governorate, according to Syria's state-run Sana news agency.
BBC News
The civilians were reportedly foraging for truffles in the desert area, a lucrative means of earning money in Syria's devastated war-stricken economy.
The Associated Press
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has claimed that IS killed at least 36 people, including 17 pro-government fighters.
Naharnet
The SOHR also reported that suspected IS fighters, carrying automatic rifles and riding motorbikes, killed four shepherds in the eastern Syrian region of Deir ez-Zor.
guardian
Though IS was defeated on the ground in 2019, it has consistently attacked civilians collecting truffles in desert areas. It's estimated that, since February, around 240 people have been killed in IS attacks targeting truffle hunters.
Naharnet
Syria's 12-year war has claimed the lives of around half a million people and displaced millions more.
Middle East Eye

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

IS is continuing its brutal insurgency in the Syrian desert, terrorizing civilians and wreaking havoc. With the world's attention on other matters, the group was able to undertake a terrible massacre of Syrian civilians. The fight against IS is definitely not over, and all parties involved must continue their effort in liquidating the group.

BBC News

Narrative B

Though one may assume that IS committed an attack like this, there is a possibility that the Fatemiyoun Brigade, an Iran-backed Afghan Shiite militia, is the real perpetrator. Iran's sectarian militias are known for their brutality and have tactically tried to blend in with the local population in the past. Iran continues to meddle in the local politics of the Syrian desert, and one must keep in mind that it is Iran that benefits from chaos in Syria.