Coming up on the France 24 Observers: a 15-minute special on the deadly attacks by the Islamic State group on truffle hunters in the Syrian desert, the "Badia".

In a country whose economy has been devastated by more than a decade of war, gathering so-called “sand truffles” is a lucrative business for the Bedouin communities, but also dangerous. In spring 2023, at least 156 truffle hunters were killed by landmines, explosive devices, and armed attacks. The 2023 harvest season was the deadliest since the territorial defeat of the Islamic State group in Syria in 2019.

The terrorist organisation's cells spread across the Badia desert are now taking advantage of the isolation of these rural residents to pursue their attacks.

To carry out this investigation, journalists Djamel Belayachi, Mahmoud Naffakh and Derek Thomson got in touch with members of Bedouin communities, analysed their images and collected their testimonies.