At least 41 people, including 24 civilians, were killed in Syria today in two attacks attributed to Islamic State targeting shepherds and villagers gathering desert truffles.

The jihadist group “killed 36 people while picking desert truffles in eastern Hama,” Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman said. 17 of the victims were pro-government fighters.

The official Sana news agency reported 26 dead.

In the desert of eastern Syria, in the province of Deir Ezzor, men on motorcycles, believed to be members of IS, opened fire and killed five shepherds to steal their animals, according to the Observatory.

Sana confirmed this number, adding that 250 sheep were also killed by jihadist fire.

Two other shepherds were kidnapped.

In the same province, the bodies of two civilians were found. According to the Observatory, they were killed a few days earlier by IS members while picking desert truffles.

Since the beginning of February, more than 240 people, most of them civilians, have been killed while picking truffles, an item that sells for very high prices. Some of them were attacked by jihadists, others died in mine explosions.