Escaped monkeys injure three residents in Syria’s Idlib city of Salqin

Dubai: Three escaped monkeys attacked and injured three people after roaming the streets of a city in northwestern Syria, local media reported, in the second such incident in the area in recent months.

The animals bit three residents in Salqin, in the western countryside of Idlib province, and the injured were taken to Salqin Central Hospital for treatment, Syrian state television reported, citing the local Salqin City Facebook page. Efforts were under way to capture the monkeys.

Efforts were under way to track down and capture the three monkeys believed to be involved in the incident.

Videos shared on social media showed monkeys moving through streets and approaching people, causing some residents to run away. It was the latest unusual incident involving monkeys on the loose in Salqin.

In June, three monkeys escaped from an amusement park and wandered through several parts of the city before being spotted in the Qusour neighbourhood.

Residents attempted to capture the animals at the time, with footage showing the monkeys moving through residential streets as people followed them.