The Facts
Syrian state media reported that at least 53 people were killed southwest of Sukhna in the Homs province last Friday while picking for truffles. State media, as well as Western sources, have attributed the attack to the Islamic State (IS).
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Saturday that the death toll had reached 61 civilians and seven soldiers from the Syrian army. The monitor also reported that IS was taking advantage of the annual truffle harvest season to carry out attacks in remote locations.
The Spin
Narrative A
IS is using the earthquake in southern Turkey and northern Syria as a cover to commit atrocities. With the world's attention on other matters, the group was able to undertake a terrible massacre of Syrian civilians. The fight against IS is definitely not over, and all parties involved must continue their effort in liquidating the group.
Narrative B
Though one may assume that an attack like this was obviously committed by IS, there is a possibility that the Fatemiyoun Brigade, an Iran-backed Afghan Shiite militia, actually is the real perpetrator. Iran's sectarian militias are known for their brutality and also have tactically tried to blend in with the local population in the past. Iran continues to meddle in the local politics of the Syrian desert, and one must keep in mind that it is Iran that benefits from chaos in Syria.
