At least 19 people searching for truffles in the Syrian desert were killed on Saturday when the vehicle they were traveling in hit a mine in a former stronghold of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

According to the British-based non-governmental organization, which relies on a wide network of sources in the war-torn country, 19 civilians, including “at least 12 women”, were killed in the blast in the desert, Raqqa province (northern Syria).

There are also wounded, the NGO said, according to which more than twenty people were in the mini truck that was hit by the mine. Initially, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 16 dead.

IS, which had seized large parts of Syria since 2014, was defeated in March 2019 in that country, receiving attacks from multiple directions, both by government forces with the support of its allies, and by an international coalition led by US leadership that spearheaded Kurdish fighters.

But numerous jihadist cells have folded into the Syrian desert and launch attacks from there, especially during the rainy season, from February to April, when the desert truffle is harvested, while countless landmines have been planted in the area.

The Syrian desert has a reputation for producing some of the world’s best truffles, prices of which have skyrocketed amid the nearly decade-and-a-half war and a crushing economic crisis — making harvesting them all the more financially attractive.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, members of the jihadist group often target civilians looking for truffles in remote areas. Despite frequent warnings from the authorities, this high-risk activity continues.

Eighteen people, mostly civilians looking for truffles, were killed on March 6 in an attack attributed to IS in eastern Syria.