According to a recent report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Daesh sold the sheep to a local militia, having initially stolen them from shepherds some time prior.
The report highlights that numerous livestock owners recognized a large number of sheep owned by them in livestock markets in several areas, as their herds had been subjected to armed attacks by ISIS in Al-Raqqah desert.
According to the follow-ups of these livestock traders, it turns out that members of “ISIS” cells sold them to members of the “National Defence” who in turn sold them in the markets to some livestock traders.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that last month, ISIS had increased attacks on sheep herders and herds in the deserts of Raqqa, and on September 5, a shepherd from Al-Jaber Al-Fouqani area in eastern Al-Raqqah countryside, was killed and two others were injured in an attack carried out by gunmen of ISIS cells in Al-Buhamed desert in Al-Raqqah countryside. The gunmen also killed 100 sheep.
It is crucial to note that in a report from 2021, stealing sheep from local shepherds and subsequently selling them to others was identified as a significant source of income for ISIS in Syria.
