Landmine kills at least 19 truffle hunters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Twelve of the 19 dead were women.
Several other people were injured. Between February and April, many people in Syria go to the Badia Desert to collect truffles. The mushrooms can be sold easily in the impoverished country, but the search is dangerous. The Islamic State jihadist militia is still active in Raqqa, and large areas of land are mined. The authorities have repeatedly warned against collecting.