They Go to the Desert to Hunt for Truffles. But ISIS Is Hunting Them.

Last Update: 2019-03-20 00:00:00 - Source: Iraq Oil Report

Alissa J. Rubin writes for The New York Times:

As he hunted for a seasonal delicacy, Mohaned Salah Yasseen scanned the ground intently, searching for places where the soil is cracked and slightly raised — the telltale sign a desert truffle lies below.

So he failed to notice the two pickup trucks, driven by men in military uniforms, until they were almost upon him.

The abductions are only a fraction of the Islamic State attacks now taking place in Iraq, where every day brings one or more reports of a checkpoint shooting, skirmish or kidnapping. But the attacks on truffle hunters reflect a renewed emphasis on inciting sectarian tensions.

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