On March 23, 2023, the bodies of seven civilians were found by local residents in the area between Jarf Marina and Hariba in eastern Athriya in the suburbs of Salmaiya in the eastern badiya or desert area of Hama in the eastern suburbs of Hama governorate. The seven victims were shot dead by assailants we have not yet been able to identify while they were collecting desert truffles in the area.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights is still investigating the incident in order to determine the party responsible for the killings. Currently, it is suspected that pro-regime Iranian militias are behind those crimes since the area is under the control of Syrian regime forces and pro-regime militias, who failed to launch any investigation into the killings. Furthermore, pro-regime Iranian militias are enforcing a monopoly over the harvesting of desert truffles in the area, leading to frequent disputes among the
residents.
