Islamic State land mines in central Syria kill 10 workers

Land mines left behind by the Islamic State group in central Syria go off in two locations, killing 10 workers as they collect truffles in the countryside and wounding 12, state media reports.

According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, the two mines exploded east of the central town of Salamiyeh. All the casualties were taken to a hospital in the town, the report added. It isn’t immediately clear what triggered the explosions.

It is not uncommon for mines left behind years ago, when IS controlled large parts of Syria, to go off inadvertently, usually when stepped on, inflicting casualties.

IS was driven out of all the territory it once held in Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2019, but the extremists left behind countless bombs and booby traps, and large areas have yet to be cleared. The group’s sleeper cells still carry deadly attacks both in Syria and Iraq.