In Syrian desert, ISIS lives on stolen livestock

Aya Ezz

A group of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants has succeeded in taking root and growing in the Syrian desert.

The official Syrian news agency, SANA, quoted some locals as saying that this group started having presence in the desert three months ago.

Syria’s Democratic Forces also said in a statement that a large number of ISIS militants are now living in the desert.

It added in a statement that the militants terrorize locals and burglarize homes in the area.

ISIS kidnapped 19 people on April 6, including a policeman, after staging a bloody attack on areas in the Syrian desert, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Targeting shepherds

It said ISIS is especially targeting shepherds in the area for unknown reasons.

In March, a group of ISIS militants killed a shepherd in Hama and wounded three others. The militants also bore off 400 sheep, the observatory said.

It noted that ISIS also killed four shepherds in Hama as well a day earlier. The observatory said the ISIS militants shot directly at the heads of the shepherds.

The killing of the Shepherds usually takes place in the spring, the observatory said.

This happens when the shepherds go out to find food for their livestock, it added.

It said ISIS steals sheep and livestock to secure its food supply, especially in desert areas in Syria.

Syria has around 80,000 square kilometers of desert. ISIS is reverting to the desert to ensure its survival.