LONDON: Three people were injured on Wednesday after escaped monkeys bit them in Salqin, a city in Syria’s western Idlib countryside, local media reported. The injured residents were taken to Salqin Central Hospital for treatment, while efforts were underway to capture the three animals, Syria’s state-run television said, citing the local Facebook page Salqin City. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show monkeys running through city streets and confronting passers-by, prompting some residents to flee. The incident was the second involving escaped monkeys in Salqin in recent months. In June, a group of monkeys escaped from an amusement park and roamed several streets before residents located them in the Qusour neighborhood and attempted to capture them. Footage from that episode showed at least one monkey moving through the city as residents tried to bring it under control. The recurrence of such incidents has reportedly raised questions about safety standards and official oversight of facilities that keep wild animals near residential areas, in a country where animal-welfare protections are uneven and enforcement has been strained by years of conflict.