Islamic Militants has attacked a group of about 75 people picking mushrooms near Palmyra in Central Syria which reportedly killed 11 People.
The attack took place away from parts of northern Syria that were hit by Monday’s deadly earthquake.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights(SOHR) , which monitors developments in Syria through a network of sources, said that Islamic State cells have been exploiting the “preoccupation of the international community” following the aftermath of the quakes.
Years of conflict have ravaged parts of the country that remain under the control of rebels, who are battling the government of President Bashar al-Assad. His government is under Western sanctions.
Syria has been dealing with effects of a 12-year long civil war, which broke out in 2011 after pro-democracy demonstrations were met by deadly force from the government.
The Syrian conflict has left half a million people dead, devastated cities, and drawn in other countries.
In 2014, the jihadist group Islamic State seized large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq, imposing its brutal rule on almost eight million people.
The group was driven from its last piece of territory in 2019, but the UN has warned that it remains a persistent threat.The huge desert region in which Palmyra is located remains one of its main hideouts.
IS has used hideouts to ambush Kurdish-led forces and Syrian government troops while continuing to carry out attacks in Iraq.
The group has targeted many people, including women and children, in recent years who go hunting for truffle mushrooms in central, north-eastern and eastern Syria.
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