Nearly 70 killed in Islamic State attack in Syria

MADRID, 18 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The death toll from the attack carried out on Friday by alleged members of the Islamic State jihadist group in the Syrian province of Homs has risen to about 70, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The body, based in London and informants in the Arab country, has indicated that the attack, which it attributes to the jihadist group, has left 61 civilians and seven members of the security forces dead. The attack is the deadliest so far this year in the country.

Thus, the Observatory has highlighted that its objective was a group of civilians who were collecting truffles in the Dabayat area, as well as a government forces post located in this area.

Syrian authorities confirmed the deaths of 53 people on Friday, all of them civilians. So far, Islamic State has not claimed responsibility for the event, although it has carried out similar attacks in the past.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on March 23, 2019 the capture of Baghuz and the fall of what is known as the territorial caliphate of the Islamic State, although the group has increased its attacks in recent months, especially in the triangle between the provinces from Aleppo, Hama and Raqqa.