Accra: At least 14 people were killed and 11 others injured in an explosion at a weapons and ammunition depot in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on Wednesday, according to local authorities.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Idlib Media Directorate reported that the toll from the blast near the town of Sarmada could rise further. The Syrian Defence Ministry stated that the explosion occurred at a temporary weapons depot, which was being used to collect weapons and remnants of war before they were transported elsewhere.
The ministry mentioned that a number of its personnel were injured in the blast, and its units were working with the relevant authorities to secure the site. Initially, the explosion left eight people injured, according to a medical source in Sarmada. Rescue and emergency teams continued searching the site and assessing the damage following the incident.
This explosion comes just days after another incident involving a weapons depot in the town of Binnish in Idlib province, which also resulted in casualties. Idlib and neighboring Aleppo province have experienced several explosions at weapons and ammunition storage sites in recent years. This has raised concerns over the risks posed to civilians by weapons and remnants of war left over from Syria's prolonged conflict.