At least 18 people, most of them civilians, were killed today in an attack attributed to the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

More than 50 people are reported missing following the attack and clashes between the attackers and pro-government forces, according to the Observatory.

“Eighteen people, including four pro-government fighters, were killed and more than 50 others are missing after the attack by gunmen possibly linked to IS” on people gathering truffles, the Observatory said.

According to the Observatory, which is based in Britain but has a large network of sources in the war-torn country, the attackers attacked the group with machine guns.

The attack took place in the desert, in the village of Kabajib in the province of Deir al-Zor.

Unconfirmed local media reports in Syria say 30 people have been killed in the clashes, including members of the Syrian government forces.

No organization has claimed responsibility for the attack.

A dozen cars were set on fire during violent clashes between jihadists and pro-government fighters after the attack, the Observatory added.

IS, which has taken control of entire areas of the country since 2014, was defeated militarily and with losses of territory in March 2019 by an international coalition against the jihadists led by the US and Kurdish forces. However, the terrorist organization remains active in many parts of the country, mainly in the Homs desert region. Cells of the jihadist organization scattered in the desert regularly carry out deadly attacks there, mainly during the rainy season, between February and April, the only time of year when sand truffles can be harvested.

The Syrian desert is reputed to produce some of the world’s best truffles, which fetch high prices in a country reeling from economic crisis after nearly 13 years of war, where truffle picking can represent an important livelihood.

According to the Observatory, IS jihadists often attack residents looking for truffles in isolated areas. Despite frequent warnings from the authorities, this very dangerous activity continues.

In 2023, hundreds of people, most of them civilians, were killed picking sand truffles, during attacks by IS militants in the desert or in landmine explosions, according to an AFP tally.

According to the Observatory, 186 people have lost their lives since the beginning of 2024 in the Syrian desert in various attacks.

The war in Syria that erupted after a 2011 crackdown on pro-democracy protests has already left more than half a million dead, millions displaced and a fragmented country.