Two dead and dozens injured in 'arms depot' explosion in Syria
Emergencies Minister Raed Al Saleh said there were 'recurring explosions' near the town of Maarat Misrin, in the north-western province of Idlib. He said the cause was unknown.
Syria's Health Ministry gave an initial toll of two people killed and 70 injured, according to Syrian state news agency Sana.
'Syrian Civil Defence teams rushed to the site immediately after the incident and are performing their duty to evacuate victims and transport the injured," Sana quoted Mr Al Saleh as saying.
Syria TV reported that 'war remnants and ammunition' had exploded at the site, leaving several people dead and injured. A correspondent said some people might have been trapped under the rubble.
'The area witnessed successive explosions as a result of the detonation of war remnants and munitions present at the site,' the broadcaster said, citing sources.
There was no immediate indication of any link to deadly fighting in Sweida in southern Syria, where hundreds of people have been killed in clashes involving pro-government forces and local militias.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
5 hours ago
- Zawya
Iraq considers oil exports via Lebanon's Tripoli port, to study reviving Iraq-Syria pipeline
Iraq's oil ministry is considering exporting oil through Lebanon's Tripoli port and will study reviving the dormant Iraq-Syria oil export pipeline, it said on Tuesday. The ministry plans to form a joint committee to assess the pipeline's condition. The announcement came during a visit by Syria's energy minister to Baghdad to discuss cooperation in oil, gas and energy. Iraq dispatched a high-level delegation to Damascus in April to assess the feasibility of reviving the Iraq–Syria oil pipeline, a move Baghdad is counting on to diversify export routes amid expanding production capacity. (Reporting by Moayed Kenany. Writing by Tala Ramadan. Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Mark Potter)
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Iraq and Syria discuss revival of Kirkuk–Baniyas oil pipeline
Iraq and Syria on Tuesday discussed ways to boost bilateral energy co-operation, including the revival of the long-defunct Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline that once transported Iraqi crude to Europe via Syria. Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad Al Bashir and Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani agreed in their talks in Baghdad to form joint technical teams to assess whether to rehabilitate the decades-old line or build a new one, said a report from Syria's state-run news agency, Sana, and a statement from the Iraqi Oil Ministry. Mr Abdel Ghani said the 'latest unrest in the region could affect Iraq's oil exports, making alternative routes a priority'. He proposed hiring specialised firms to determine the feasibility of restoring the old pipeline or building a replacement. Built in 1952, the pipeline ran about 850 kilometres from the oil-rich Kirkuk in northern Iraq to the Mediterranean port of Baniyas in Syria. At the time, its daily capacity was about 300,000 barrels per day. Operations came to a halt after the outbreak of Iran -Iraq war in 1980 due to political disputes with the Syrian regime, a close ally of Tehran. The pipeline briefly reopened in 2000 to bypass UN economic sanctions on Iraq following its invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The pipeline was heavily damaged during the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein and has remained out of service since. Experts said it would need billions of dollars and stability in Iraq and Syria for it to be restored. Mr Al Bashir said Syria currently imports about three million barrels of crude per month, in addition to its own output, to meet domestic demand, Sana reported. He stressed the 'necessity of linking oil networks between Iraq and Syria to enhance economic co-operation'. Reviving the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline would provide Baghdad with a new export outlet, instead of sending oil to international markets through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf, and provide Damascus with a source of badly needed fuel. Another pipeline, linking Kirkuk to Turkey's Ceyhan oil terminal, has been idle since 2023 because of a dispute between Baghdad and Ankara. Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz during its 12-day aerial war with Israel in June, jeopardising Iraq's oil sales that provide more than 90 per cent of its federal budget. Mr Al Bashir and Mr Abdel Ghani also discussed laying fibre-optic cables in parallel with the pipeline to boost regional connectivity with Lebanon, Sana said. The establishment of ties began after Syrian rebels led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a largely Sunni group formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda, toppled former president Bashar Al Assad in December. Shiite-majority Iraq has called for an inclusive political process in Syria, expressed concern over the danger posed by a resurgent ISIS, and demanded protection for religious and ethnic minorities and Shiite shrines. In recent months, the two countries exchanged high-level delegations, reopened the main border crossing for travellers and goods, and increased co-operation in the fight against drugs.
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
US offers incentives to Syria to back off from fighting minorities
The US is to offer incentives to Syria to step back from conflicts with minorities in a move to stabilise the country, as the two sides met in Jordan. Sectarian violence in the south of Syria between loyalist Sunni forces and the Druze minority has threatened to undermine a burgeoning alliance with Washington, which has pulled Syria closer to the West than at any time in its turbulent history as a modern nation. Sources dealing with Syrian issues in Jordan told The National that the US has offered to form an international Friends of Syria coalition to support recovery and reconstruction, in return for concessions on domestic policy. Amman hosted a meeting between US envoy Tom Barrack and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani on Tuesday to discuss the violence in Sweida. In particular, Washington wants an inclusive Syrian government and security forces, instead of a Sunni-heavy security apparatus with very few non-Sunnis in any senior positions in the state. The Druze in Sweida and Kurds in eastern Syria have clashed with the post- Bashar Al Assad government after demanding a civil constitution and limits to the powers of the new, Sunni-dominated order. 'The American idea is to form a Friends of Syria group of nations who would encourage Damascus to change course," a second source said. 'No one wants to see continued destabilisation in Syria, not even Israel." In return, the source said, Damascus would be expected to purge militants in the security forces, rein in paramilitary groups and appoint technocrats to the government instead of having former rebel commanders oversee departments. The US, Jordan, Turkey and Gulf states would form the core of this group. The recent fighting in Sweida was the costliest violence for the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham government since it assumed power. HTS, a splinter group of Al Qaeda, ousted the Assad regime in an 11-day offensive in December. Sweida remains surrounded by forces loyal to Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara. Allowing the population of the governorate to resume normal life, including unfettered access to Damascus, is a key US demand, the source said. The offensive in Sweida has also raised fears among other minorities, especially after the mass killings of Alawite civilians in March, and cast doubt on Mr Al Shara's ability to unify the country after a 13-year civil war under the previous regime. Attacks by Israel on Mr Al Shara's loyalists pushed Syrian troops back but they remain within close range of Sweida city, the provincial capital. 'If Al Shara keeps letting the militants run the show, the government will self-destruct,' said another source, who highlighted Israeli incursions into southern Syria and its ability "to capture the south easily". In this case, the source warned, Mr Al Shara would lose control of the south, the Kurds in the east would be emboldened and Syria would return to a period of "proxy war and suicide bombings". The US is trying to save the Syrian government "from itself", the source said. US President Donald Trump started establishing ties with Damascus in May on the urging of Turkey and Saudi Arabia, two key regional supporters of Mr Al Shara. A Jordanian source, who requested anonymity, said stabilisation was key to preventing any confrontation between Turkey and Israel. They pointed out the presence of thousands of Turkish troops in Syria, although they are deployed mainly in the north. "The last thing Jordan wants to see" is an armed Israeli-Turkish confrontation near its border, the source said. "No one is very happy with Al Shara but no one wants to see him really fail."
